"What, you have heard of her?" said Harriet, "I believe she enjoys a pretty extensive reputation. Is your head worse? I have been talking too much for you, I am afraid." "Not at all," said Margaret, leaning back again, "pray go on; and will you give me another cup of coffee?" "You shall have it," said Harriet, "one need not forget to eat and drink; that is the last stage of that most deplorable folly--love. Well--I do not look like a person who would put up with such conduct, do I?" "No," said Margaret smiling. "I wrote immediately to George to signify that as he had made his choice, he might abide by it--that he was welcome to be Mrs. such a one's slave, but that I resigned every sort of claim to the honour. I thought he deserved a little better than Lazarillo de Tormes, who played the part of lackey to seven mistresses--the rascal--and at last was almost demolished by two viragos who contended for his services in the open street." She laughed scornfully, and went on. "This made rather a cabal in the family, you may suppose. Papa, who thought one daughter was disposed of, looked very blank upon my proceedings. Captain Gage--just like him--took my part. He said that George had behaved shamefully, and though he hoped it would all come right again, he could not wonder at my determination. But these things never do come right again, Margaret." Margaret sighed. "The strangest part of the whole affair was George's conduct. He had been, before this transaction, not at all better than his neighbours--and that is saying little enough for any man--indeed, as my good aunt told me, I might reasonably have expected what happened. My aunt was right, though I own, I could have called her out at the time for saying so. Well, he suddenly turned over a new leaf; renounced his extravagances, cut Mrs. Maxwell Dorset, and became quite a moral character. In fact, behaved as people are supposed to do upon an engagement instead of a repulse. This was all his pride; just to show me what an exemplary character I had thrown away." "And you," said Margaret, "how did you bear it?" "Very coolly, I promise you;" said Harriet, "I grew thin, and irritable, and so yellow that I was afraid to look at my own face in the glass. Aunt Singleton plagued me with asses milk. Uncle Singleton gave me a capital hunter. I don't know which remedy it was, but I very soon forgot all about Master George." Margaret did not quite believe this, but she made no remark. "Still," continued Harriet, "I was very glad when papa was appointed Envoy to Madrid. I insisted on going with him, and enjoyed our residence in Spain beyond all description. Just before we set out, Lord Raymond asked me again to be his little wife. I was not exactly in the frame of mind to feel pleased with his politeness; so I told him, that I was tired of having to answer the same idle question, and so took leave of him in a pet.