"Sister! the late great and good Doctor Johnson said accuracy ought always to be studied even in the most trifling things." "You _will_ have your way, Joseph--"(this was the formula--answering to Sir Joseph's 'Let us waive the point'--which Miss Lavinia used, as a means of conciliating her brother, and getting a fresh start for her story). "Well, we took dear Natalie out between us, after breakfast, for a little walk in the grounds. My brother opened the subject with infinite delicacy and tact. 'Circumstances,' he said, 'into which it was not then necessary to enter, made it very desirable, young as she was, to begin to think of her establishment in life.' And then he referred, Richard (so nicely), to your faithful and devoted attachment--" "Excuse me, Lavinia. I began with Richard's attachment, and then I got on to her establishment in life." "Excuse _me_, Joseph. You managed it much more delicately than you suppose. You didn't drag Richard in by the head and shoulders in that way." "Lavinia! I began with Richard." "Joseph! your memory deceives you." Turlington's impatience broke through all restraint. "How did it end?" he asked. "Did you propose to her that we should be married in the first week of the New Year?" "Yes!" said Miss Lavinia. "No!" said Sir Joseph. The sister looked at the brother with an expression of affectionate surprise. The brother looked at the sister with a fund of amiable contradiction, expressed in a low bow. "Do you really mean to deny, Joseph, that you told Natalie we had decided on the first week in the New Year?" "I deny the New Year, Lavinia. I said early in January." "You _will_ have your way, Joseph! We were walking in the shrubbery at the time. I had our dear girl's arm in mine, and I felt it tremble. She suddenly stopped. 'Oh,' she said, 'not so soon!' I said, 'My dear, consider Richard!' She turned to her father. She said, 'Don't, pray don't press it so soon, papa! I respect Richard; I like Richard as your true and faithful friend; but I don't love him as I ought to love him if I am to be his wife.' Imagine her talking in that way! What could she possibly know about it? Of course we both laughed--" "_you_ laughed, Lavinia." "_you_ laughed, Joseph." "Get on, for God's sake!" cried Turlington, striking his hand passionately on the table by which he was sitting. "Don't madden me by contradicting each other! Did she give way or not?" Miss Lavinia turned to her brother. "Contradicting each other, Joseph!" she exclaimed, lifting her hands in blank amazement. "Contradicting each other!" repeated Sir Joseph, equally astonished on his side. "My dear Richard, what can you be thinking of? I contradict my sister! We never disagreed in our lives." "I contradict my brother! We have never had a cross word between us from the time when we were children." Turlington internally cursed his own irritable temper.