jump to a conclusion. You have no means of knowing. Depend upon it,
he has been at Golfney Place over and over again. We shall be
fortunate if he doesn't end by marrying her."

"Who is jumping to a conclusion now?" said Carrissima.

"Lawrence dear," suggested Phoebe, quite humbly, "I understood you were
afraid she might marry Mark. After all, she can't very well make
victims of both him and your father."

"No, but she may like to have two strings to her bow. She may prefer a
bird in the hand, and if he should escape, there's Mark to fall back
upon."

"After all," said Carrissima, "you have not even seen Bridget. You
don't know she has the slightest desire to marry anybody."

"She is simply an adventuress," was the answer. "A pretty woman on the
make."

Although Carrissima had little reason to be prejudiced in Miss Rosser's
favour, she was the possessor of an elementary sense of justice, and,
moreover, it was always a satisfaction to contradict her brother.

"I don't admit you have any right to say that," she protested. "I saw
a great deal of her at Crowborough----"

"Five years ago!"

"From what I have seen since," Carrissima continued, "I believe you