suspect that his simplicity was not so great as she had imagined. She
was surprised to observe, that, notwithstanding all their artful hints,
Wright came to nothing like a positive proposal, nor even to any
declaration of his passion. The next day she was yet more astonished;
for Wright, though he _knew_ she was a full hour in the milliner's shop,
never made the slightest attempt to see her; nay, in the evening, he met
her on the public walk, and passed without more notice than a formal
bow, and without turning his head back to look after her, though she
was flirting with a party of gentlemen, expressly for the purpose of
exciting his jealousy.

Another consultation was held with her friend the milliner: "These men
are terrible creatures to deal with," said her confidant. "Do you know,
my dear creature, this man, simple as he looks, has been very near
taking us in. Would you believe it? he is absolutely courting a
Lincolnshire lady for a wife. He wrote a letter to her, my dear
Alicia, this morning, and begged me to let my boy run with it to the
post-office. I winded and winded, saying he was mighty anxious about
the letter, and so on, till, at the last, out comes the truth. Then
I touched him about you; but he said, 'an actress was not fit for a
farmer's wife, and that you had too many admirers already.' You see, my
dear creature, that he has none of the thoughts we built upon. Depend
upon it he is a shrewd man, and knows what he is about; so, as we cannot
do better than Marvel, my advice--"

"Your advice!" interrupted Miss Barton: "I shall follow no advice but my
own." She walked up and down the small parlour in great agitation.

"Do as you please, my dear; but remember I cannot afford to _lay_ out of
my money to all eternity. The account between us has run up to a great