"I'm sure she is; very nice. But I shouldn't have told her so before her face, if you hadn't asked the question."
"That's nonsense, mamma. You mustn't believe mamma when she pretends to be grand and sententious. It's only put on as a sort of company air, but we don't mean to make company of you."
"Pray don't," said Florence.
"I'm so glad you are come just at this time," said Mary. "I think so much of having Harry's future wife at my wedding. I wish we were both going to be married the same day."
"But we are not going to be married for ever so long. Two years hence has been the shortest time named."
"Don't be sure of that, Florence," said Fanny. "We have all of us received a special commission from Harry to talk you out of that heresy; have we not, mamma?"
"I think you had better not tease Florence about that immediately on her arrival. It's hardly fair." Then, when they had drunk their tea, Florence was taken away to her own room, and before she was allowed to go downstairs she was intimate with both the girls, and had so far overcome her awe of Harry's mother as to be able to answer her without confusion.
"Well, sir, what do you think of her?" said Harry to his father, as soon as they were alone.
"I have not had time to think much of her yet. She seems to be very pretty. She isn't so tall as I thought she would be."
"No; she's not tall," said Harry, in a voice of disappointment.