“Sir Charles Grandison!  That is an amazing horrid book, is it not?  I remember Miss Andrews could not get through the first volume.”

“It is not like Udolpho at all; but yet I think it is very entertaining.”

“Do you indeed!  You surprise me; I thought it had not been readable.  But, my dearest Catherine, have you settled what to wear on your head tonight?  I am determined at all events to be dressed exactly like you.  The men take notice of that sometimes, you know.”

“But it does not signify if they do,” said Catherine, very innocently.

“Signify!  Oh, heavens!  I make it a rule never to mind what they say.  They are very often amazingly impertinent if you do not treat them with spirit, and make them keep their distance.”

“Are they?  Well, I never observed that.  They always behave very well to me.”

“Oh!  They give themselves such airs.  They are the most conceited creatures in the world, and think themselves of so much importance!  By the by, though I have thought of it a hundred times, I have always forgot to ask you what is your favourite complexion in a man.  Do you like them best dark or fair?”

“I hardly know.  I never much thought about it.  Something between both, I think.  Brown —­ not fair, and —­ and not very dark.”

“Very well, Catherine.  That is exactly he.  I have not forgot your description of Mr. Tilney —­ ’a brown skin, with dark eyes, and rather dark hair.’  Well, my taste is different.  I prefer light eyes, and as to complexion —­ do you know —­ I like a sallow better than any other.  You must not betray me, if you should ever meet with one of your acquaintance answering that description.”

“Betray you!  What do you mean?”

“Nay, do not distress me.  I believe I have said too much.  Let us drop the subject.”

Catherine, in some amazement, complied, and after remaining a few moments silent, was on the point of reverting to what interested her at that time rather more than anything else in the world, Laurentina’s skeleton, when her friend prevented her, by saying, “For heaven’s sake!  Let us move away from this end of the room.  Do you know, there are two odious young men who have been staring at me this half hour.  They really put me quite out of countenance.  Let us go and look at the arrivals.  They will hardly follow us there.”

Away they walked to the book; and while Isabella examined the names, it was Catherine’s employment to watch the proceedings of these alarming young men.

“They are not coming this way, are they?  I hope they are not so impertinent as to follow us.  Pray let me know if they are coming.  I am determined I will not look up.”

In a few moments Catherine, with unaffected pleasure, assured her that she need not be longer uneasy, as the gentlemen had just left the pump-room.

“And which way are they gone?” said Isabella, turning hastily round.  “One was a very good-looking young man.”