"Lor!" replied his fair companion, with her favorite twist of her favorite joints. "I wish it was me, Britain." "Wish what was you?" "A going to be married," said Clemency. Benjamin took his pipe out of his mouth and laughed heartily. "Yes! you're a likely subject for that!" he said. "Poor Clem!" Clemency for her part laughed as heartily as he, and seemed as much amused by the idea. "Yes," she assented, "I'm a likely subject for that; an't I?" "_You_'ll never be married, you know," said Mr. Britain, resuming his pipe. "Don't you think I ever shall though?" said Clemency, in perfect good faith. Mr. Britain shook his head. "Not a chance of it!" "Only think!" said Clemency. "Well!--I suppose you mean to, Britain, one of these days; don't you?" A question so abrupt, upon a subject so momentous, required consideration. After blowing out a great cloud of smoke, and looking at it with his head now on this side and now on that, as if it were actually the question, and he were surveying it in various aspects, Mr. Britain replied that he wasn't altogether clear about it, but--ye-es--he thought he might come to that at last. "I wish her joy, whoever she may be!" cried Clemency. "Oh she'll have that," said Benjamin; "safe enough." "But she wouldn't have led quite such a joyful life as she will lead, and wouldn't have had quite such a sociable sort of husband as she will have," said Clemency, spreading herself half over the table, and staring retrospectively at the candle, "if it hadn't been for--not that I went to do it, for it was accidental, I am sure--if it hadn't been for me; now would she, Britain?" "Certainly not," returned Mr. Britain, by this time in that high state of appreciation of his pipe, when a man can open his mouth but a very little way for speaking purposes; and sitting luxuriously immovable in his chair, can afford to turn only his eyes towards a companion, and that very passively and gravely. "Oh! I'm greatly beholden to you, you know, Clem." "Lor, how nice that is to think of!" said Clemency. At the same time, bringing her thoughts as well as her sight to bear upon the candle-grease, and becoming abruptly reminiscent of its healing qualities as a balsam, she anointed her left elbow with a plentiful application of that remedy. "You see I've made a good many investigations of one sort and another in my time," pursued Mr. Britain, with the profundity of a sage; "having been always of an inquiring turn of mind; and I've read a good many books about the general Rights of things and Wrongs of things, for I went into the literary line myself, when I began life." "Did you though!" cried the admiring Clemency.