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"Have you ever seen this lady, Peter?"

"Never, but I have heard of her--who has not?"

"What have you heard?"

"That she galloped her horse up and down the steps of St Paul's

Cathedral, for one thing"

"What more?"

"That she is proud, and passionate, and sudden of teo!" said Charh she is handso way--and I have it on very excellent authority that she

is a black-browed goddess, a peach, and a veritable plu' is a hateful word, Peter!"

"But very descriptive"

"And--doesn't she interest you--a little, Peter?"

"Not in the least," said I

"And, pray, why not?"

"Because I care very little for either peaches or pluoddesses, Peter?"

"Not if she is big and strapping, and possesses a temper"

"I suppose--to such a philosopher as you--a wooddess,

black-browed or not, can scarcely compare with, or hope to rival

an old book, can she, sir?"

"Why, that depends, Charmian"

"On what?"

"On the book!" said I

Char her

chin in her hands, stared squarely at me