He said he was sure we were very much obliged, but our time was limited, and he thought we could get around faster alone." "Well," I said, "I do not understand it, unless Dicky has persuaded her that poppa is to be our next ambassador to St.James's." "She was too silly about Dicky," said momma.

"She said she really was afraid, before you appeared, that young Mr.Dod was conceiving an attachment for her Isabel, whose affections lay _quite_ in another direction; but now her mind was entirely at rest.

I don't remember her words, she uses so many, but she was trying to hint that poor Dicky was an admirer of _yours_, dearest." "I fancy she succeeded--as far as that goes," I remarked.
"Well, yes, she made me understand her.

So I felt obliged to tell her that, though Dicky was a lovely fellow and we were all very fond of him, anything of _that_ kind was out of the question." "And what," I asked, "was her reply to that ?" "She seemed to think I was prevaricating.

She said she knew what a mother's hopes and fears were.