20 A PIC NIC. 



" Ugly daughter ! " said Mr. AUington. 



" Decidedly ugly," replied his wife : " as long and as pale 

 as " 



" Pale ! " said Mr. AUington. 



" Pray do n't repeat my words, sir — it is not well bred. I 

 said pale, and I say so again. She is as pale as a sheet, except 

 when she speaks or sings, and then she is altogether as much too 

 red. I hate your changeable complexions and your bashful girls : 

 just as if they had never been any where, and knew nobody but 

 their own papas ; I can 't abide it. We were speaking of Mr. 

 Burton : he 's too poor. But we must n't offend him neither ; 

 for you know the title and property are on the cards still, Mr. A. 

 Tell him Adey is much too young. Say it would be the death 

 of me to part with her, and that you must have time to break the 

 offer to me. Leave it so; and then, in a year, suppose, if nothing 

 better should turn up " 



" No, Mrs. AUington ! " said honest John, rising : " no — I will 

 refuse him, if you really desire it. If, indeed, I were allowed to 

 please myself, and, as I verily believe, Adey too, I should accept 

 his offer directly. But, as for playing with the feelings of an 

 honourable and frank-hearted young man, and gambling with 

 his happiness as well as with our daughter's, it is what I will 

 not do; so I will go and tell him the truth, and " 



"Tell him what? " shrieked Mrs. AUington, in a voice of the 

 utmost consternation, and then, bringing her husband back to 

 within confidential distance of my ear — " Tell him nothing, Mr. 

 A. — dear Mr. A., if you love me, tell him nothing ! Since you 

 are not to be guided by my prudent tenderness for our child's 

 best interests, do at least only refuse him ; but tell him nothing, 

 Oh, my dear Mr. A., how your indiscretion alarms me! But 

 now that I have got your attention for a moment, do just sit 

 down again, and let us consult a little farther as to what *s to be 

 done for our other poor dear girls. There 's Maria and Julia, as 

 well as Adey, plenty old enough and to spare. We 7nusf, look 

 about us." 



Here there was so large a blank in the dialogue that I began 

 to fear I .should learn no more of the secrets of the family. At 

 length Mr. AUington for once broke silence, and in a more ani- 

 mated key than was usual with him. 



" My dear," said he, " I have been thinking over all the young 

 men who visit here, and I do believe I have my eye on one who 

 would be a good husband for Maria. — Guess ! —He 's not far off. 



