letters and confide their titbits to favored friends of her own sex,
it is difficult to see how all the gossip got out. The school-master
once played an unmanly trick on her, with the view of catching her
in the act. He was a bachelor who had long been given up by all the
maids in the town. One day, however, he wrote a letter to an
imaginary lady in the county-town, asking her to be his, and going
into full particulars about his income, his age, and his prospects.
A male friend in the secret, at the other end, was to reply, in a
lady's handwriting, accepting him, and also giving personal
particulars. The first letter was written; and an answer arrived in
due course--two days, the school-master said, after date. No other
person knew of this scheme for the undoing of the post-mistress, yet
in a very short time the school-master's coming marriage was the
talk of Thrums. Everybody became suddenly aware of the lady's name,
of her abode, and of the sum of money she was to bring her husband.
It was even noised abroad that the school-master had represented his
age as a good ten years less than it was. Then the school-master
divulged everything. To his mortification, he was not quite
believed. All the proof he could bring forward to support his story
was this: that time would show whether he got married or not.
Foolish man! this argument was met by another, which was accepted at
once. The lady had jilted the school-master. Whether this explanation
came from the post-office, who shall say? But so long as he lived the
school-master was twitted about the lady who threw him over. He took
his revenge in two ways. He wrote and posted letters exceedingly
abusive of the post-mistress. The matter might be libellous; but then,
as he pointed out, she would incriminate herself if she "brought him
up" about it. Probably Lizzie felt his other insult more. By publishing
his suspicions of her on every possible occasion he got a few people to
seal their letters. So bitter was his feeling against her that he was