prefer a country life, as much as she should prefer Robinson Crusoe's
diary to the journal of the idle man in the Spectator.

"Lord bless me!--Mrs. Broadhurst, do you hear what your daughter is
saying?" cried Lady Clonbrony, who, from the card-table, lent an
attentive ear to all that was going forward. "Is it possible that Miss
Broadhurst, with her fortune, and pretensions, and sense, can really
be serious in saying she would be content to live in the country?"

"What's that you say, child, about living in the country?" said Mrs.
Broadhurst.

Miss Broadhurst repeated what she had said.

"Girls always think so who have lived in town," said Mrs. Broadhurst:
"they are always dreaming of sheep and sheep-hooks; but the first
winter in the country cures them: a shepherdess in winter is a sad and
sorry sort of personage, except at a masquerade."

"Colambre," said Lady Clonbrony, "I am sure Miss Broadhurst's
sentiments about town life, and all that, must delight you--For do you
know, ma'am, he is always trying to persuade me to give up living in
town? Colambre and Miss Broadhurst perfectly agree."

"Mind your cards, my dear Lady Clonbrony," interrupted Mrs.
Broadhurst, "in pity to your partner. Mr. Pratt has certainly the
patience of Job--your ladyship has revoked twice this hand."

Lady Clonbrony begged a thousand pardons, fixed her eyes, and
endeavoured to fix her mind on the cards; but there was something