As they passed in their way out through the room in which the subscription-books were kept, they met a gentleman, whose apparent age wavered between thirty-five and forty, tall, stout, gaily dressed, fully moustached, and with an eye that looked as if accustomed to active service in reconnoitring all things. He took off his hat, and bowed profoundly to Miss Peters, bestowing at the same time a very satisfactory stare on the widow. "Who is that, my dear?" said the well-pleased lady. "That is Major Allen," replied Elizabeth. "Upon my word, he is a very fine, fashionable-looking man. Is he intimate with your family?" "Oh no!... We only know him from meeting him sometimes at parties, and always at the balls." "Is he a man of fortune?" "I am sure I don't know. He has got a smart horse and groom, and goes a great deal into company." "Then of course he cannot be a poor man, my dear. Is he a dancer?" "No.... I believe he always plays cards." "And where shall we go now, dearest?... I want you to take me, Elizabeth, to all the smartest shops you know." "Some of the best shops are at Bristol, but we have a very good milliner here." "Then let us go there, dear.... And did not your mamma say something about a library?" "Yes, there's the library, and almost everybody goes there almost every morning." "Then there of course I shall go. I consider it as so completely a duty, my dear Elizabeth, to do all these sort of things for the sake of my niece. My fortune is a very good one, and the doing as other people of fortune do, must be an advantage to poor dear Agnes as long as she is with me; ... but I don't scruple to say to you, my dear, that the fortune I received from your dear uncle, will return to his family in case I die without children.... And a truly widowed heart, my dear girl, does not easily match itself again. But the more you know of me, Elizabeth, the more you will find that I have many notions peculiar to myself. Many people, if they were mistress of my fortune, would spend three times as much as I do; but I always say to myself, 'Poor dear Mr. Barnaby, though he loved me better than anything else on earth, loved his own dear sister and her children next best; and therefore, as he left all to me ... and a very fine fortune he made, I assure you ... I hold myself in duty bound, as I spend a great deal of money with one hand upon my own niece, to save a great deal with the other for his.'" "I am sure you seem to be very kind and good to everybody," replied the grateful young lady.