‘Girls always think so who have lived in town,’ said Mrs. Broadhurst.  ’They are always dreaming of sheep and sheephooks; but the first winter 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 said at the other end of the room, about an estate in Cambridgeshire, which soon distracted her attention again.  Mr. Pratt certainly had the patience of Job.  She revoked, and lost the game, though they had four by honours.

As soon as she rose from the card-table, and could speak to Mrs. Broadhurst apart, she communicated her apprehensions.

‘Seriously, my dear madam,’ said she, ’I believe I have done very wrong to admit Mr. Berryl just now, though it was on Grace’s account I did it.  But, ma’am, I did not know Miss Broadhurst had an estate in Cambridgeshire; their two estates just close to one another, I heard them say.  Lord bless me, ma’am! there’s the danger of propinquity indeed!’

‘No danger, no danger,’ persisted Mrs. Broadhurst.  ’I know my girl better than you do, begging your ladyship’s pardon.  No one thinks less of estates than she does.’

‘Well, I only know I heard her talking of them, and earnestly too.’

’Yes, very likely; but don’t you know that girls never think of what they are talking about, or rather never talk of what they are thinking about?  And they have always ten times more to say to the man they don’t care for, than to him they do.’

‘Very extraordinary!’ said Lady Clonbrony.  ‘I only hope you are right.’

‘I am sure of it,’ said Mrs. Broadhurst.  ’Only let things go on, and mind your cards, I beseech you, to-morrow night better than you did to-night; and you will see that things will turn out just as I prophesied.  Lord Colambre will come to a point-blank proposal before the end of the week, and will be accepted, or my name’s not Broadhurst.  Why, in plain English, I am clear my girl likes him; and when that’s the case, you know, can you doubt how the thing will end?’