pretty little note for Mrs. Fitz-Adam, and a
request that Miss Matey would deliver it
herself and explain the previous omission.
Mrs. Fitz-Adani was as pleased as could be,
and thanked Miss Matey over and over again.
Mr. Peter had said, "Leave Mrs. Jamieson
to me;" so we did; especially as we knew
nothing that we could do to alter her
determination if once formed. I did not know,
nor did Miss Matey, how things were going
on, until Miss Pole asked me, just the day
before Mrs. Gordon came, if I thought there
was anything between Mr. Peter and Mrs.
Jamieson in the matrimonial line, for that
Mrs. Jamieson was really going to the lunch
at the George. She had sent Mr. Mulliner
down to desire that there might be a foot-stool
put to the warmest seat in the room, as she
meant to come, and knew that their chairs
were very high. Miss Pole had picked this
piece of news up, and from it she conjectured
all sorts of things, and bemoaned yet more.
"If Peter should marry, what would become
of poor dear Miss Matey! And Mrs.
Jamieson, of all people!" Miss Pole seemed
to think there were other ladies in Cranford
who would have done more credit to his
choice, and I think she must have had
some one who was unmarried in her head,
for she kept saying, "It was so wanting
in delicacy in a widow to think of such a
thing."

When I got back to Miss Matey's, I really
did begin to think that Mr. Peter might be
thinking of Mrs. Jamieson for a wife; and I
was as unhappy as Miss Pole about it. He
had the proof-sheet of a great placard in his
hand. "Signor Brunoni, Magician to the
King of Delhi, the Rajah of Oude, and the
Great Lama of Thibet, &c. &c., was going to
perform in Cranford for one night only," the
very next night; and Miss Matey, exultant,
showed me a letter from the Gordons,
promising to remain over this gaiety, which Miss
Matey said was entirely Peter's doing. He
had written to ask the Signor to come, and
was to be at all the expenses of the affair.
Tickets were to be sent gratis to as many as
the room would hold. In short, Miss Matey
was charmed with the plan, and said that
to-morrow Cranford would remind her of the
Preston Guild to which she had been in her
youth—a luncheon at the George, with the
dear Gordons, and the Signor in the Assembly-
room in the evening. But I—I looked only
at the fatal words—

"Under the Patronage of the HONOURABLE
MRS. JAMIESON."

She, then, was chosen to preside over this
entertainment of Mr. Peter's; she was
perhaps going to displace my dear Miss
Matey in his heart, and make her life lonely
once more! I could not look forward to the
morrow with any pleasure; and every innocent
anticipation of "Miss Matey's only served to
add to my annoyance. So, angry and irritated,
and exaggerating every little incident which
could add to my irritation, I went on till we
were all assembled in the great parlour at
the George. Major and Mrs. Gordon and
pretty Flora and Mr. Ludovic were all as
bright and handsome and friendly as could
be; but I could hardly attend to them for
watching Mr. Peter, and I saw that Miss
Pole was equally busy. I had never seen
Mrs. Jamieson so roused and animated
before; her face looked full of interest in
what Mr. Peter was saying. I drew near to
listen. My relief was great when I caught
that his words were not words of love, but
that, for all his grave face, he was at his old
tricks. He was telling her of his travels in
India, and describing the wonderful height
of the Himalaya mountains: one touch after
another added to their size; and each exceeded
the former in absurdity; but Mrs. Jamieson
really enjoyed all in perfect good faith. I
suppose she required strong stimulants to
excite her to come out of her apathy. Mr.
Peter wound up his account by saying that,
of course, at that altitude there were none of
the animals to be found that existed in the
lower regions; the game—everything was
different. Firing one day at some flying
creature, he was very much dismayed, when
it fell, to find that he had shot a cherubim!
Mr. Peter caught my eye at this moment,
and gave me such a funny twinkle, that I
felt sure he had no thoughts of Mrs. Jamieson
as a wife, from that time. She looked
uncomfortably amazed:

"But, Mr. Peter—shooting a cherubim—
don't you think—I am afraid that was
sacrilege!"

Mr. Peter composed his countenance in a
moment, and appeared shocked at the idea;
which, as he said truly enough, was now
presented to him for the first time; but then
Mrs. Jamieson must remember that he had
been living for a long time among savages—
all of whom were heathens—some of them, he
was afraid, were downright Dissenters. Then,
seeing Miss Matey draw near, he hastily
changed the conversation, and after a little
while, turning to me he said, ''Don't be
shocked, prim little Mary, at all my wonderful
stories; I consider Mrs. Jamieson fair game,
and besides, I am bent on propitiating her,
and the first step towards it is keeping her
well awake. I bribed her here by asking her
to let me know her name as patroness for my
poor conjurer this evening; and I don't want
to give her time enough to get up her rancour
against the Hogginses, who are just coming
in. I want everybody to be friends, for it
harrasses Matey so much to hear of these
quarrels. I shall go at it again, by and bye,
so you need not look shocked. I intend
to enter the Assembly-room to-night with
Mrs. Jamieson on one side, and my lady
Mrs. Hoggins on the other. You see if I
don't."

Somehow or another he did; and fairly