He was sprightly, but the effort was painfully
visible. Lady Baldock said something afterwards, very ill-natured,
about a hog in armour, and old Mrs. Burnaby spoke the truth when she
declared that all the comfort of her tea and toast was sacrificed
to Mr. Spooner's frock coat. But what was to be done with him when
breakfast was over? For a while he was fixed upon poor Phineas, with
whom he walked across to the stables. He seemed to feel that he could
hardly hope to pounce upon his prey at once, and that he must bide
his time.
Out of the full heart the mouth speaks. "Nice girl, Miss Palliser,"
he said to Phineas, forgetting that he had expressed himself nearly
in the same way to the same man on a former occasion.
"Very nice, indeed. It seems to me that you are sweet upon her
yourself."
"Who? I! Oh, no--I don't think of those sort of things. I suppose I
shall marry some day. I've a house fit for a lady to-morrow, from top
to bottom, linen and all. And my property's my own."
"That's a comfort."
"I believe you.
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