"What  is  it,  Henry,  if  you  are  at  all  in  earnest,"  Uncle
Job  now  spoke  up,  "that  can  possibly  threaten  the  happiness
of  one  I  love  more  than  any  one  on  earth,  except — "

"Except  Miss  Betty,  of  course,"  Mr.  Seymour  responded,
quietly.  "There,  don't  blush,  sweet  lady.  It  was  a  slip  of  the
tongue,  and  excusable,  I  am  sure.  I  must  believe,  however,
from  what  you  say,  Job,  that  you  are  something  of  a  dissem
bler,"  Mr.  Seymour  went  on  ;  "for  is  it  a  light  thing  to  cut  off
a  young  man  without  a  settled  income  or  hopes  of  any  kind,
as  you  are  preparing  to  do?  Yesterday  Gilbert  was  an  heir,
your  expectant  heir;  now  how  does  it  stand?  Gilbert,  you
.are  undone,  and  by  your  uncle  of  all  men!"

At  this  foolish  ending  there  was  a  roar  of  laughter,  in
which  I  joined  more  heartily  than  any  one  else,  for  of  the
need  of  money  I  then  knew  nothing.  I  therefore  cried  out
with  great  cheerfulness:

"I'm  glad  to  give  up  my  prospects  to  Miss  Betty,  for  I
shouldn't  know  what  to  do  with  money  if  I  had  it.  Besides,
the  ladies,  it  is  said,  are  less  able  to  get  on  without  it  than
the  rest  of  us."

"There  is  another  fling  at  women!"  Miss  Betty  cried,
gayly.  "F.e,  Gilbert,  for  you  to  slur  us  when  you  know
I  have  always  admired  you  next  to — to — "

"Out  with  it,  Miss  Betty — next  to  Job,  of  course.  How
slyly  they  compliment  each  other,  and  properly,  too;  but  it's
a  toss-up  between  Job  and  Gilbert,  don't  you  think,  Con
stance?"  Mr.  Seymour  asked,  turning  to  her.
