anywhere; which I dare say he does about as often as yourself, Mr
Wharton.' Now Mr Wharton, though he was a thorough and perhaps
bigoted member of the Church of England, was not fond of going to
church.

'Do you mean to tell me,' he said, pressing his hands together,
and looking very seriously into his sister-in-law's face; 'do you
mean to tell me that she--likes him?'

'Yes;--I think she does like him.'

'You don't mean to say--she's in love with him?'

'She has never told me that she is. Young ladies are shy of
making such assertions as to their own feelings before due time
for doing so has come. I think she prefers him to anybody else;
and that were he to propose to herself, she would give him her
consent to go to you.'

'He shall never enter this house again,' said Mr Wharton
passionately.

'You must arrange that with her. If you have so strong an
objection to him. I wonder that you should have had him here at
all.'

'How was I to know? God bless my soul!--just because a man was
allowed to dine here once or twice! Upon my word, it's too bad.'

'Papa, won't you and aunt come down to dinner?' asked Emily,