York the justice to say that they strike me as very disinterested. They prefer pretty girls - lively girls - girls like your own. Catherine is neither pretty nor lively.'

'Catherine does very well; she has a style of her own - which is more than my poor Marian has, who has no style at all,' said Mrs Almond. 'The reason Catherine has received so little attention, is that she seems to all the young men to be older than themselves. She is SO large, and she dresses so richly. They are rather afraid of her, I think; she looks as if she had been married already, and you know they don't like married women. And if our young men appear disinterested,' the Doctor's wiser sister went on, 'it is be- cause they marry, as a general thing, so young - before twenty-five, at the age of innocence and sincerity - before the age of calculation. If they only waited a little, Catherine would fare better .'

'As a calculation? Thank you very much,' said the Doctor. 'Wait till some intelligent man of forty comes along, and he will be delighted with Catherine,' Mrs Almond continued.

'Mr Townsend is not old enough, then? His motives may be pure.'

'It is very possible that his motives are pure; I should be very sorry to take the contrary for granted. Lavinia is sure of it; and, as he is a very prepossessing youth, you might give him the benefit of the doubt.'

Doctor Sloper reflected a moment.

'What are his present means of subsistence?'

'A widow with five children? Do you mean he lives upon her?' Mrs Almond got up, and with a certain impatience, 'Had you not better ask Mrs Montgomery herself?' she inquired.

'Perhaps I may come to that,' said the Doctor. 'Did you say the Second A venue?' He made a note of the Second Avenue.