I have reason to believe Mr
Hoggins sups on bread-and-cheese and beer every night.
"Marry!" said Miss Matty once again. "Well! I never thought of
it. Two people that we know going to be married. It's coming very
near!"
"So near that my heart stopped beating when I heard of it, while
you might have counted twelve," said Miss Pole.
"One does not know whose turn may come next. Here, in Cranford,
poor Lady Glenmire might have thought herself safe," said Miss
Matty, with a gentle pity in her tones.
"Bah!" said Miss Pole, with a toss of her head. "Don't you
remember poor dear Captain Brown's song 'Tibbie Fowler,' and the
line -
'Set her on the Tintock tap,
The wind will blaw a man till her.'"
"That was because 'Tibbie Fowler' was rich, I think."
"Well! there was a kind of attraction about Lady Glenmire that I,
for one, should be ashamed to have."
I put in my wonder. "But how can she have fancied Mr Hoggins? I
am not surprised that Mr Hoggins has liked her."
"Oh! I don't know. Mr Hoggins is rich, and very pleasant-
looking," said Miss Matty, "and very good-tempered and kind-
hearted."
"She has married for an establishment, that's it. I suppose she
takes the surgery with it," said Miss Pole, with a little dry laugh
at her own joke.
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