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204 THE CORAL RING. 
THE CORAL RING. 
" There is no time of life in which young girls 
are so thoroughly selfish as from fifteen to twen- 
ty," said Edward Ashton, deliberately, as he laid 
down a book he had been reading, and leaned 
over the centre table. 
" You insulting fellow!" replied a tall, brilliant- 
looking creature, who was lounging on an otto- 
man hard by, over one of Dickens's last works. 
" Truth, coz, for all that," said the gentleman, 
with the air of one who means to provoke a dis- 
cussion. 
" Now, Edward, this is just one of your whole- 
sale declarations for nothing only to get me 
into a dispute with you, you know," replied the 
lady. " On your conscience, now, (if you have 
one,) is it not so ? " 
" My conscience feels quite easy, cousin, in sub- 
scribing to that sentiment, as my confession of 
faith," replied the gentleman, with provoking sang 
froid. 
" Pshaw ! it's one of your fusty, old-bachelor 
notions. See what comes, now, of your living to 
your time of life without a w^ife disrespect for 
the sex, and all that. Really, cousin, your symp- 
toms are getting alarming." 
" Nay, now, cousin Florence," said Edward, 
" you are a girl of moderately good sense, with 
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