"Exactly so. But we have our doubts whether the lady will, under present circumstances, assent to the arrangement: for when she came to London, it was as an orphan, but now her father has returned from India after a long, and, I suppose, a profitable absence. Mr Primrose, the father, is now on his way from Smatterton, and he has said in his letter to his daughter, that he is about to place her in a home of his own. So I fear we shall lose this star." Mr Erpingham did not lay anything very much to heart, and therefore he did not express any serious lamentation on this probable loss. He directed his remarks to other matters; and among other questions which he asked of Lord Spoonbill, alluding to the circumstances and events of his lordship's life, he enquired: "And have you got rid of your dear little Ellen at last? You had a great deal of trouble with her, I think you told me some time ago." Lord Spoonbill was quite as profligate as his elegant friend, but he had not so successfully and completely neutralized all his feelings. Though his profligacy therefore was coarser than that of Erpingham, and though his lordship was not over gifted with sensibility, yet he was not so entirely and systematically heartless. To this question concerning poor Ellen he shook his head, and said: "Why, yes; I was sorry for the poor thing too: she was very much in love with me at one time, I really believe." "Ay," replied Erpingham, "that was bad. It is quite annoying to have a woman in love with one. I could not endure it. I make it a rule never to encourage anything of the kind. You were too much addicted to sentimentality when you were at Cambridge. I suspect now that you are more than half in love with this Miss Primrose. Is she pretty and silly?" Lord Spoonbill frowned at the question, and did not answer it. "Oh, well," replied his friend, "I have no wish to be in your confidence. Pray don't tell me any more of your secrets than you wish me to know. And if you are going to talk as much nonsense to me about Miss Primrose as you did two years ago about your 'dear little Ellen,' I must beg to be excused. Positively, Spoonbill, I have grown quite nervous of late." "I think," replied his lordship, "you have grown quite provoking. I have no intention of boring your ears with any sentimentality, as you are pleased to call it." This being uttered in a petulant tone, and Erpingham not liking to take the trouble of replying in the same tone, contented himself with indolently saying: "Well, well, don't be angry. Say what you please. I will bear it very patiently." Lord Spoonbill having but little time to spare, and being very desirous of unburthening his mind to his friend, suffered this kind of careless half-apology to extract from him the secret of his attachment to Penelope. Erpingham listened as attentively as he could to the story, and when it was finished he yawned out, "Ah! sure! But what assistance can I give you?"