When one woman calls another a prodigy, and expresses herself as unworthy to associate with her, it is very certain that she means to insult rather than compliment her; and in this sense Mr Maynard understood his sister's words: therefore after having listened with tolerable patience to a few more sneers at the unconscious Adeline, he was provoked to say that, ill-disposed as he found they were toward his new acquaintance, he hoped that when they became acquainted with her they would still give him reason to say, as he always had done, that he was proud of his sisters; for, in his opinion, no woman ever looked so lovely as when she was doing justice to the merits and extenuating the faults of a rival. 'A rival!' exclaimed the sisters at once:--'And, pray, what rivalship could there be in this case?' 'My remark was a general one: but since you choose to make it a particular one, I will answer to it as such,' continued Mr Maynard. 'All women are rivals in one sense--rivals for general esteem and admiration; and she only shall have my suffrage in her favour, who can point out a beauty or a merit in another woman without insinuating at the same time a counterbalancing effect.' 'But Mrs Glenmurray, it seems, has no defects!' 'At least I have not known her long enough to find them out; but you, no doubt, will, when you know her, very readily spare me that trouble.' How injudiciously had Maynard prepared the minds of his sisters to admire Adeline. It was a preparation to make them hate her; and they were very impatient to begin the task of depreciating both her _morale_ and her _physique_, when Glenmurray's note arrived. 'It is not Glenmurray's hand,' said Maynard--(indeed, from agitation of mind the writing was not recognizable). 'It must be hers then,' continued he, affecting to kiss the address with rapture. 'It is the hand of a sloven,' observed Mrs Wallington, studying the writing. 'But in dress she is as neat as a Quaker,' retorted the brother, eagerly snatching the letter back, 'and her mind seems as pure as her dress.' He then broke the seal, and read out what follows:-- 'DEAR MAYNARD, 'When you receive this, Adeline and I shall be on our road to France, and you,--start not!--are the occasion of our abrupt departure.' 'So, so, jealous indeed,' said Maynard to himself, and more impressed than ever with the charms of Adeline; for he concluded that Glenmurray had discovered in her an answering prepossession. 'You the occasion, brother!' cried both sisters. 'Have patience.' 'You saw Adeline; you admired her; and wished to introduce her to your sisters--this, honour forbad me to allow'--(the sisters started from their seats) 'for Adeline is not my wife, but my companion.'