and Miss Lennox answered, that his teeth and his ears were nothing to her, and that she did not see why she was to be suffocated to indulge the whims of an old man, who, if his teeth were as tender as he pretended them to be, ought to have remained at home, in place of coming into a public carriage, to plague people with aches and pains that they had nothing to do with. Upon this, the old gentleman, with a deep sigh, drew from his pocket a turkey red pockethandkerchief, and wrapped it round his neck, a very natural thing, I think, considering his toothach,-at which both Miss Lennox and the captain began to titter, which so enraged him"

"I begin to doubt the whole story," said an elderly lady, who, until this moment, had listened in solemn silence-" I begin to doubt if there is one word of truth in the whole affair, from the very circumstance of its being said that one of the officers was in the coach; for as long as I have lived in P―, I never yet heard of one of them

being seen in the stage; they either walk or ride; they are much too fine gentlemen to enter a stage-coach; and I don't understand how Miss Lennox could be there either, when we all know that Sir Thomas keeps a very handsome carriage."

66

Strange as it may appear," retorted Miss Macdonald, "it is nevertheless true. I am generally pretty sure of my authority before I repeat the reports of the day."

"Here comes Miss Kennedy," cried half a dozen voices at once; "we shall hear her edition of the story."

Miss Kennedy, having performed the usual salutations, seated herself, with an air of importance, in the centre of the gaping audience, and said, "How is it that I am so fortunate as to find so many of my friends assembled here ?"

"Now, Miss Kennedy," said Miss Barton, "you know as well as we do, what has happened, and you just want to be pressed to tell what you cannot keep to yourself."

"Do you think so?" replied the lady,

enraged at being found out; "but you will find, madam, that I can keep a secret as well as most people."

“Miss Barton,” said the old lady, "it is very strange that you will let nobody speak but yourself. Give Miss Kennedy time to draw her breath-this is a warm day-she has probably been walking a good deal, as she seems to be heated; but when she cools, I am sure our good friend will tell us all she knows of this very extraordinary affair."

"I am perfectly cool," replied the lady, in a tone which was far from harmonizing with her words;-" but I will show my friends that I can be secret when I please, whatever they may think to the contrary."

"Nobody ever doubted that," was the reply of those whose curiosity mastered their truth; "but when a story becomes so public as this one is, there need be no secrecy about the matter."

"Very true," replied Miss Kennedy,

glad of an opportunity to relieve herself of the burden which oppressed her.

"Well, but, Miss Kennedy," said Miss Barton, "did Miss Lennox really pull the old gentleman's nose?"

"His nose was no more pulled than yours was. Miss Lennox never attempted such a thing."

"I beg your pardon, but you are wrong there. I don't say that Miss Lennox did actually pull it, though some people go so far as to say, that the swelling has not yet fallen; but that she intended to do it, I know from authority which cannot be doubted."

Do you think," asked Miss Kennedy, "that nobody can have things from good authority but you? I should know at least how the case stands, as I have this moment come from the Lennoxes."

"And do you suppose," retorted her antagonist," that Miss Lennox would be such a fool as to tell you what she had done?"

66

'Come, come, ladies," said Miss Macdo

nald, “surely this quarrel is not to produce one among such old friends; let there be no more disputing on the subject, but let each tell the story the way they heard it, without being interrupted; and I vote that Miss Kennedy shall begin."

This motion being carried by a great majority, Miss Kennedy cleared her voice and began:

"However faulty Miss Lennox may be in general, she was not the cause of this quarrel. It was all owing to Captain Spencer, a lover of hers."

"But," asked one of her audience," how came Miss Lennox and her lover in a stagecoach, when Sir Thomas has a carriage of his own? answer me that."

"I thought," replied Miss Kennedy, "it was agreed that I should not be interrupted."

"True," said Miss Macdonald; “but since it is only to ask a question, you may overlook it."

"I was just going to explain that, but