"I am just agoing to begin; and I only hope I shall not get exasperated, and misbehave myself, as I certainly feel I did the last time we had a talk." "Go on; I don't think you'll get exasperated, whatever else may happen to you." "You think, p'r'aps, that your goings on, young Mr Rayleigh, ar'n't known; but they are though." "In what respect, sir? What do you allude to?" "Petticoats--that's what I allude to; and I come just to give you a friendly warning, that the seven young Juffleses are all six feet high." "Your information is totally undesired." "I know it is--it's uncommon unpleasant information; and, if I was you, I would give up the chase. She's certainly a very pretty girl is Betsy Juffles--but not fit for you or me, you know. She has no blood." "As I don't know whom you allude to, of course I can give you no answer; but, as you seem to be giving me advice, I will favour you with a very decided piece of it in return; which is, to hold your tongue on any subject connected with me, or the consequences to yourself will be such as you will hardly like." "Thank ye for your friendliness--I am rather fond of advice than otherwise, though it's certainly one of the things that it's more blessed to give than to receive; and I will just give you a hint that may do you good--Betsy's a very good-natured girl, but fickle--very." "Indeed!" "Oh yes!--she is indeed--she made great advances to me once; but I rather checked her. A very clever girl too--and speaks French; but she has no philosophy. She went to the last assizes, and fell in with some dragoon officers at a ball. She's all for the redcoats now, or at least was till lately--but since then she"---- Here the little animal winked. "Oh!" I said, willing to hear what the creature would say. "I have scarcely spoke to her for a long time; but I hear some of her proceedings," he continued. "You do?--from whom, pray?" "Why, it can't be supposed I never hear Amy talking about how often she goes out with Betsy. I'm very much against Amy seeing her at all. Her steady stupid sister would be a far safer companion than such a wild sort of girl as Betsy Juffles." "You say she once made advances to you," I said, with a horrid suspicion at my heart that I had been an egregious fool. "Didn't she? You should have seen her looks. She always sat a little behind her mother's chair, so as to be out of the old lady's eye, and did cast such preternatural glances across the room to me, and smiled, and smirked, and sidled, and shook her curls--it was wonderful to behold, but she had no philosophy, and I looked cold"---- "And chilled her?" "Exactly. I could have tumbled her into the railway, and been off to Gretna, by only holding up my finger--but I wouldn't. She bore it pretty well, considering the disappointment; and first consoled herself by flirting at a ball with a set of ensigns and cornets, and then took to you." "To me? I don't understand you, Mr Jeeks." "You do!"