Isopel Berners, down in the dell there, requests the pleasure of Mr.and Mrs.Petulengro's company at breakfast.

She will be happy also to see you, madam," said I, addressing Mrs.Chikno.
"Is that young female your wife, young man ?" said Mrs.Chikno.
"My wife ?" said I.
"Yes, young man, your wife, your lawful certificated wife." "No," said I, "she is not my wife." "Then I will not visit with her," said Mrs.Chikno; "I countenance nothing in the roving line." "What do you mean by the roving line ?" I demanded.
"What do I mean by the roving line?
Why, by it I mean such conduct as is no ttatcheno.

{244a} When ryes and rawnies {244b} lives together in dingles, without being certificated, I calls such behaviour being tolerably deep in the roving line, everything savouring of which I am determined not to sanctify.

I have suffered too much by my own certificated husband's outbreaks in that line to afford anything of the kind the slightest shadow of countenance." "It is hard that people may not live in dingles together without being suspected of doing wrong," said I.
"So it is," said Mrs.Petulengro, interposing; "and, to tell you the truth, I am altogether surprised at the illiberality of my sister's remarks.

I have often heard say, that is in good company--and I have kept good company in my time--that suspicion is king's evidence of a narrow and uncultivated mind; on which account I am suspicious of nobody, not even of my own husband, whom some people would think I have a right to be suspicious of, seeing that on his account I once refused a lord; but ask him whether I am suspicious of him, and whether I seek to keep him close tied to my apron-string; he will tell you nothing of the kind; but that, on the contrary, I always allows him an agreeable latitude, permitting him to go where he pleases, and to converse with any one to whose manner of speaking he may take a fancy.