are cheats and swindlers, that they are perjuring their precious souls.
Besides, to call a lover a perjured creature is to encourage him. He
would have a right to complain if you went back after that.'

'Oh dear! what a move was there!' cried Lady Catharine. 'Miss Broadhurst
is so entertaining to-night, notwithstanding her sore throat, that one
can positively attend to nothing else. And she talks of love and lovers
too with such CONNAISSANCE DE FAIT--counts her lovers by dozens, tied up
in true-lovers' knots!'

'Lovers!--no, no! Did I say lovers?--suitors I should have said. There's
nothing less like a lover, a true lover, than a suitor, as all the world
knows, ever since the days of Penelope. Dozens!--never had a lover in my
life! And fear, with much reason, I never shall have one to my mind.'

'My lord, you've given up the game,' cried Lady Catharine; 'but you make
no battle.'

'It would be so vain to combat against your ladyship,' said Lord
Colambre, rising, and bowing politely to Lady Catharine, but turning the
next instant to converse with Miss Broadhurst.

But when I talked of liking to be an heiress,' said Lady Anne, 'I was
not thinking of lovers.'

'Certainly. One is not always thinking of lovers, you know,' added Lady
Catharine.

'Not always,' replied Miss Broadhurst. 'Well, lovers out of the question
on all sides, what would your ladyship buy with the thousands upon