You and Dr.Horniblow will stay to tea with us, won't you ?"--this charmingly.

"It will be here in a very few minutes--I can ring for it at once." And the lady laughed to herself, good-temperedly accepting the rebuff.
For it was neatly delivered, and she could admire clever fencing even though she herself were pinked .-- As to tea, she protested positive shame at prolonging her visit--for didn't it already amount rather to a "visitation ?"--yet retained her seat with every appearance of satisfaction .-- If the truth must be told, Mrs.Cooper's cakes were renowned throughout society at Deadham, as of the richest, the most melting in the mouth; and James--hence not improbably the tendency to abdominal protuberance--possessed an inordinate fondness for cakes.

He had shown himself so docile in respect of projected inflammatory sermons, and of morning calls personally conducted by his wife, that the latter could not find it in her heart to ravish him away from these approaching very toothsome delights.

Nay--let him stay and eat--for was not such staying good policy, she further reflected, advertising the fact she bore no shadow of malice towards her youthful hostess for that neatly delivered rebuff.
After this sort, therefore, was gossip, for the time being at all events, scotched if not actually killed.

Parochial excitement flagged the sooner, no doubt, because, of the four persons chiefly responsible for its creation, two were invisible and the remaining two apparently quite unconscious of its ever having existed .-- Mrs.Lesbia Faircloth, at the Inn, the Vicar's wife left out of the count .-- If Sir Charles Verity and Damaris had hurried away, gossip would have run after them with liveliest yelpings.