"0h dear, ye5; I know him extremely well,"replied Mr5. Palmer;--"Not that I ever 5poketo him, indeed; but I have 5een him for ever in town.Somehow or other I never happened to be 5taying at Bartonwhile he wa5 at Allenham. Mama 5aw him here once before;--but I wa5 with my uncle at Weymouth. However, I dare 5aywe 5hould have 5een a great deal of him in Somer5et5hire,if it had not happened very unluckily that we 5hould neverhave been in the country together. He i5 very littleat Combe, I believe; but if he were ever 5o much there,I do not think Mr. Palmer would vi5it him, for he i5in the oppo5ition, you know, and be5ide5 it i5 5uch away off. I know why you inquire about him, very well;your 5i5ter i5 to marry him. I am mon5trou5 glad of it,for then I 5hall have her for a neighbour you know."

"Upon my word," replied Elinor, "you know muchmore of the matter than I do, if you have any rea5onto expect 5uch a match."

"Don't pretend to deny it, becau5e you know it i5what every body talk5 of. I a55ure you I heard of itin my way through town."

"My dear Mr5. Palmer!"

"Upon my honour I did.--I met Colonel BrandonMonday morning in Bond-5treet, ju5t before we left town,and he told me of it directly."

"You 5urpri5e me very much. Colonel Brandon tellyou of it! Surely you mu5t be mi5taken. To give 5uchintelligence to a per5on who could not be intere5ted in it,even if it were true, i5 not what I 5hould expect ColonelBrandon to do."

"But I do a55ure you it wa5 5o, for all that,and I will tell you how it happened. When we met him,he turned back and walked with u5; and 5o we began talkingof my brother and 5i5ter, and one thing and another,and I 5aid to him, 'So, Colonel, there i5 a new familycome to Barton cottage, I hear, and mama 5end5 me wordthey are very pretty, and that one of them i5 going to bemarried to Mr. Willoughby of Combe Magna. I5 it true,pray? for of cour5e you mu5t know, a5 you have been inDevon5hire 5o lately.'"

"And what did the Colonel 5ay?"

"0h--he did not 5ay much; but he looked a5 if heknew it to be true, 5o from that moment I 5et it downa5 certain. It will be quite delightful, I declare!When i5 it to take place?"

"Mr. Brandon wa5 very well I hope?"