Then  arose  a  debate  and  confusion  of  tongues  and  opinions  as
to  how  the  party  was  to  divide.  Harry  offered  to  drive  the
phaeton — Mr  Crane  having  privately  hinted  that  such  an  arrange-
ment would  meet  with  his  approval — who  was  to  accompany
him  ?  Harry  suggested  his  own  wife,  meaning  to  treat  her  to  a
gentle  reproof  on  the  road  for  her  want  of  consideration  in
having  kept  a  whole  party  waiting  merely  to  finish  a  silly  duet
with  that  boy  Alfred  Courtland.  But  Kate  disapproved  of  this
arrangement — perhaps  because  she  had  begun  to  suspect  that
the  Coverdale  couple  did  not  always  in  'their  little  nest  agree,'
and  had  read  in  Harry's  flashing  eyes  warning  of  a  perturbed
spirit.  Whether  Alice's  conscience  led  her  to  the  same  result
we  do  not  pretend  to  decide,  but  for  some  reason  she  seconded
her  cousin  until  she  discovered  that  by  doing  so  Arabella
Crofton  would  be  her  substitute,  by  which  time  the  affair  was
settled  beyond  her.  power  of  altering.  Her  annoyance  would
have  been  sensibly  diminished,  however,  if  she  could  have
known  that  the  arrangement  was  if  possible  more  distasteful  to
her  husband  than  to  herself,  but  unfortunately  there  was  no
clairvoyant  at  hand  to  afford  her  this  desirable  intelligence.
