"Not Nancy?"

"0, no!" exclaimed Miss Ilderton; "Nancy, though an excellent goodgirl, and fondly attached to you, would make a dull conspirator--as dull as Renault and all the other subordinate plotters inVENICE PRESERVED. No; this is a Jaffier, or Pierre, if you likethe character better; and yet though I know I shall please you, Iam afraid to mention his name to you, lest I vex you at the sametime. Can you not guess? Something about an eagle and a rock--it does not begin with eagle in English, but something quite likeit in Scotch."

"You cannot mean young Earnscliff, Lucy?" exclaimed Miss Vere,blushing deeply.

"And who else should I mean" exclaimed Lucy. "Jaffiers and Pierresare somewhat scarce in this country, I take it, though one could findRenaults and Bedamars enow."

"How call you talk so wildly, Lucy? Your plays and romances havepositively turned your mind. You know, that, independent of myfather's consent, without which I never will marry any one, andwhich, in the case you point at, would never be granted;independent, too, of our knowing nothing of young Earnscliff'sinclinations, but by your own vivid conjectures and fancies--besides all this, there is the fatal brawl!"