"Hush! don't mention names! You mean Babylon and her prey! Oh my! that Babylon! Well, I declare, sometimes I'm ready to give up beat; that woman goes ahead of anything I ever came across."
Lottie paused, took a long breath, flung up her arms, and performed a variety of singular and dizzy evolutions, by way of expressing her astonishment; then she went on,—
"What do you think she's at now?"
I shook my head.
"It's as good a thing as you can do," said Lottie, approvingly; "but you might shake it till doomsday before you'd get Mrs. Babylon's man[oe]uvres through it, I can tell you that, Miss Hyde."
I wanted to reprove the girl; I felt mean, dishonest; yet I was so anxious about Jessie that I could not prevent myself listening to any revelations the little imp might see fit to make.
"She's put a hornet into Lawrence's hair this time, and no mistake," said Lottie; "and Lord! don't it sting, and make him jump?"
"What do you mean, you ridiculous child?"
"Mean, Miss Hyde? A whole bucketful—a seaful! Why, Babylon's been telling Lawrence that young Mr. Bosworth and our Miss Jessie are engaged."
"Impossible, Lottie! She could not assert so unblushing a falsehood!"