"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 dissembler," 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. "Fie, 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, Constance?" Mr. Seymour asked, turning to her.
"Yes, I'm sure it is, for I have always admired Mr. Throckmorton next to—to—Gilbert," Constance replied, with great pertness, looking at Miss Betty and laughing.
"Well, to straighten it out and make every one happy again, I propose, Betty, that we make him our joint heir, thus doubling his prospects," Uncle Job broke in, turning to her.
"I agree to that with all my heart," she cried in response, "and propose we toast him as such"; and this every one at once proceeded to do.
"That ought to be satisfactory, but still I very much fear Gilbert's prospects are in the dumps," Mr. Seymour responded, with mock gravity.
In this way, and with much similar talk and hilarity, the evening passed to the great enjoyment of every one present. Mr. Seymour, mindful of decorum, had named an early hour for the dinner, so that it was over in time not to shock the more staid of the community, who were ever of the opinion, in the infancy of the republic, that respectability and good hours went hand in hand.