“What!” screamed the other. “The girl with the pug-nose, the green eyes and washed-out hair. Sprung from nowhere! A lot you know about it.” “I know plenty, because I watch. Didn’t I see them walking in the Park the other morning? I’ll do him the justice, though, to say she kept calling him back when he was all for getting away.” “I don’t believe it. She knows how to dress, and there’s an end of it.” “She’s a right-down pretty woman,” said Miss Groggerton spitefully, who would have been just as eager to pronounce her ugly upon another occasion. “There’s no dash, no ‘go’ about her. She gives one the impression she’s been sleeping in a bandbox. I’d rather have Agnes for company than her.” “You would. But then you’re not a man. It makes all the difference.” And then Susiebelle, being quite overwrought, put her head on the sofa pillow and cried aloud. Truly Miss Groggerton was cruel. But it was not her nature to remain so long, if justice must be done her. Suddenly she said: “Are you very gone on Barringcourt?” “Dead gone. If I don’t marry him I’ll marry no one. So pa had better look out.” “Well, it’s Miss Paleaf he’s gone upon now, though it may be only a passing fancy. But why not set yourself to work to do her out?” “How?” asked Susiebelle, raising her head. “Well, she never goes anywhere but what she takes a hideous green toad with her. These are days of extreme religion. Let’s say she worships it. There would be scandal in no time, and it might end seriously for her.” “Yes; but I’m thinking of him. I don’t think he’s a very religious man. It might make no difference to him if he’s f—f—fond of her.” Miss Groggerton laughed aloud. “You’ll never get married if you’re such a greenhorn. D’ye think any man would care for a girl who worshipped a toad when he was there himself to be worshipped? On my word, Susiebelle, you don’t know everything.” “Of course not,” said the other humbly. “How—how shall we begin?” “Oh! I have a great friend, a priest called James Peter. I’ll speak of it to him as a serious matter and scandal. There’s no one like the priests for spreading gossip.” CHAPTER XXVII AFTER-DINNER SPEECHES After that Susiebelle went back to her accustomed life, and behaved as a young lady who had been presented to the Emperor _should_ behave. The great night of the dinner had arrived; the following day was to be the great election, and the two most popular and powerful candidates were, to even the inexperienced eye, Golden Priest Alphonso and his brother Phillipus.