He was evidently delighted to find himself at Beechcote, and it might have been divined that there was a spice of malice in his pleasure.

The Vavasours had always snubbed him; Miss Mallory herself had not been over-polite to him on one or two occasions; but her cousin was a "stunner," and, secure in Fanny's exuberant favor, he made himself quite at home.

Placed on Diana's left at table, he gave her much voluble information about her neighbors, mostly ill-natured; he spoke familiarly of "that clever chap Marsham," as of a politician who owed his election for the division entirely to the good offices of Mr.Fred Birch's firm, and described Lady Lucy as "an old dear," though very "frowsty" in her ideas.

He was strongly of opinion that Marsham should find an heiress as soon as possible, for there was no saying how "long the old lady would see him out of his money," and everybody knew that at present "she kept him beastly short." "As for me," the speaker wound up, with an engaging and pensive _naivete_, "I've talked to him till I'm tired." At last he was headed away from Tallyn and its owners, only to fall into a rapturous debate with Fanny over a racing bet which seemed to have been offered and taken on the journey which first made them acquainted.
Fanny had lost, but the young man gallantly excused her.
"No--no, couldn't think of it! Not till next time.

Then--my word!--I'll come down upon you--won't I?
Teach you to know your way about--eh ?" Loud laughter from Fanny, who professed to know her way about already.
They exchanged "tips"-- until at last Mr.Birch, lost in admiration of his companion, pronounced her a "ripper"-- he had never yet met a lady so well up--"why, you know as much as a man!" Dr.Roughsedge meanwhile observed the type.