not a stitch does she do for her mother; I cannot tell what is to be
the end of it.'

'And do you know what the child's name is to be, Mrs. Appleton?'

'No, Miss Jane,' answered Mrs. Appleton. 'Betsy did say they talked
of naming him after his uncle, Edward Gage, only Mr. Devereux would
not let him stand.'

'No,' said Jane. 'Since he married that dissenting wife he never
comes near the church; he is too much like the sour Gage, as we call
his mother, to be good for much. But, after all, he is not so bad as
Dick Rodd, who has never been confirmed, and has never shown any
sense of religion in his life.'

'Yes, Miss, Dick Rodd is a sad fellow: did you hear what a row there
was at the Mohun Arms last week, Miss Jane?'

'Aye,' said Jane, 'and papa says he shall certainly turn Dick Rodd
out of the house as soon as the lease is out, and it is only till
next Michaelmas twelve-months.'

'Yes, Miss, as I said to Betsy Wall, it would be more for their
interest to behave well.'

'Indeed it would,' said Jane. 'Robert and papa were talking of
having their horses shod at Stoney Bridge, if Tom Naylor will be so
obstinate, only papa does not like to give Tom up if he can help it,
because his father was so good, and Tom would not be half so bad if
he had not married one of the Gages.'