Gentlemen in provincial towns quite understand that, from the nature of social circumstances in the provinces, they should always be ready to be pleasant at least to a pair at a time.

At a few minutes before twelve they were all gone, and then came the shock.
"Dolly, my dear, what do you think of Mr.Gibson ?" "Think of him, Aunt Stanbury ?" "Yes; think of him;--think of him.

I suppose you know how to think ?" "He seems to me always to preach very drawling sermons." "Oh, bother his sermons! I don't care anything about his sermons now.
He is a very good clergyman, and the Dean thinks very much about him." "I am glad of that, Aunt Stanbury." Then came the shock.

"Don't you think it would be a very good thing if you were to become Mrs.Gibson ?" It may be presumed that Miss Stanbury had assured herself that she could not make progress with Dorothy by "beating about the bush." There was an inaptitude in her niece to comprehend the advantages of the situations, which made some direct explanation absolutely necessary.

Dorothy stood half-smiling, half-crying, when she heard the proposition, her cheeks suffused with that pink colour, and with both her hands extended with surprise.
"I've been thinking about it ever since you've been here," said Miss Stanbury.
"I think he likes Miss French," said Dorothy, in a whisper.
"Which of them?
I don't believe he likes them at all.