“I tell you what, brother,” said Ursula, looking somewhat pale, and speaking very low, “if I had only something in my hand, I would do you a mischief.”

“Why, what is the matter, Ursula?” said I; “how have I offended you?”

“How have you offended me?  Why, didn’t you insinivate just now that I was ready to play the—­the—­”

“Go on, Ursula.”

“The—­the—­I’ll not say it; but I only wish I had something in my hand.”

“If I have offended, Ursula, I am very sorry for it; any offence I may have given you was from want of understanding you.  Come, pray be seated, I have much to question you about—­to talk to you about.”

“Seated, not I!  It was only just now that you gave me to understand that you was ashamed to be seated by me, a thief, a liar.”

“Well, did you not almost give me to understand that you were both, Ursula?”

“I don’t much care being called a thief and a liar,” said Ursula; “a person may be a liar and thief, and yet a very honest woman, but—­”

“Well, Ursula.”

“I tell you what, brother, if you ever sinivate again that I could be the third thing, so help me duvel!  I’ll do you a mischief.  By my God I will!”

“Well, Ursula, I assure you that I shall sinivate, as you call it, nothing of the kind about you.  I have no doubt, from what you have said, that you are a very paragon of virtue—­a perfect Lucretia; but—­”

“My name is Ursula, brother, and not Lucretia:  Lucretia is not of our family, but one of the Bucklands; she travels about Oxfordshire; yet I am as good as she any day.”

“Lucretia; how odd!  Where could she have got that name?  Well, I make no doubt, Ursula, that you are quite as good as she, and she as her namesake of ancient Rome; but there is a mystery in this same virtue, Ursula, which I cannot fathom; how a thief and a liar should be able, or indeed willing, to preserve her virtue is what I don’t understand.  You confess that you are very fond of gold.  Now, how is it that you don’t barter your virtue for gold sometimes?  I am a philosopher, Ursula, and like to know everything.  You must be every now and then exposed to great temptation, Ursula; for you are of a beauty calculated to captivate all hearts.  Come, sit down and tell me how you are enabled to resist such a temptation as gold and fine clothes?”

“Well, brother,” said Ursula, “as you say you mean no harm, I will sit down beside you, and enter into discourse with you; but I will uphold that you are the coolest hand that I ever came nigh, and say the coolest things.”

And thereupon Ursula sat down by my side.

“Well, Ursula, we will, if you please, discourse on the subject of your temptations.  I suppose that you travel very much about, and show yourself in all kinds of places?”

“In all kinds, brother; I travels, as you say, very much about, attends fairs and races, and enters booths and public-houses, where I tells fortunes, and sometimes dances and sings.”