of that house, during her aunt’s life.  Miss Stanbury, however, of course persevered, speaking of herself as a worn-out old woman, with one foot in the grave, who would soon be carried away and put out of sight.  But in a very few days things got back into their places, and Aunt Stanbury had the keys again.  ‘I knew how it would be, miss,’ said Martha to her young mistress, ’and I didn’t say nothing, ’cause you understand her so well.’

Mrs Stanbury and Priscilla still live at the cottage, which, however, to Priscilla’s great disgust, has been considerably improved and prettily furnished.  This was done under the auspices of Hugh, but with funds chiefly supplied from the house of Brooke, Dorothy, and Co.  Priscilla comes into Exeter to see her sister, perhaps, every other week, but will never sleep away from home, and very rarely will eat or drink at her sister’s table.  ‘I don’t know why, I don’t’ she said to Dorothy, ’but somehow it puts me out.  It delays me in my efforts to come to the straw a day.’  Nevertheless, the sisters are dear friends.

I fear that in some previous number a half promise was made that a husband should be found for Camilla French.  That half-promise cannot be treated in the manner in which any whole promise certainly would have been handled.  There is no husband ready for Cammy French.  The reader, however, will be delighted to know that she made up her quarrel with her sister and Mr Gibson, and is now rather fond of being a guest at Mr Gibson’s house.  On her first return to Exeter after the Gibsons had come back from their little Cornish rustication, Camilla declared that she could not and would not bring herself to endure a certain dress of which Bella was very fond, and as this dress had been bought for Camilla with special reference to the glories of her anticipated married life, this objection was almost natural.  But Bella treated it as absurd, and Camilla at last gave way.

It need only further be said that though Giles Hickbody and Martha are not actually married as yet, men and women in their class of life always moving towards marriage with great precaution, it is quite understood that the young people are engaged, and are to be made happy together at some future time.