"
"And marmalade," said Sir Joseph, striking in at the first opportunity.
The story, on this occasion, being Miss Lavinia's story, the polite
contradictions necessary to its successful progress were naturally
transferred from the sister to the brother, and became contradictions on
Sir Joseph's side.
"No," said Miss Lavinia, gently, "if you _will_ have it, Joseph--jam."
"I beg your pardon," persisted Sir Joseph; "marmalade."
"What _does_ it matter, brother?"
"Sister! the late great and good Doctor Johnson said accuracy ought
always to be studied even in the most trifling things."
"You _will_ have your way, Joseph--"(this was the formula--answering
to Sir Joseph's 'Let us waive the point'--which Miss Lavinia used, as
a means of conciliating her brother, and getting a fresh start for her
story). "Well, we took dear Natalie out between us, after breakfast,
for a little walk in the grounds. My brother opened the subject with
infinite delicacy and tact. 'Circumstances,' he said, 'into which it was
not then necessary to enter, made it very desirable, young as she was,
to begin to think of her establishment in life.
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