"I know who is a greater," rejoined Aunt Copp, laughing and looking at Lucy.

"Hester," exclaimed Lucy, "I appeal to you. Is it right-is it in accordance with good manners, his poking these things in at the window? Ought they not to be sent back instantly?"

"It is in accordance with good-nature, Lucy," I replied; "and to forward them back, in haste, as you suggest, would be returning insult for kindness. When he next calls, let Aunt Copp give him the presents, and civilly inform him that you cannot accept them."

"I wish you may get me to do it," cried Aunt Copp. tide in the affairs of man,' and Lucy has now got hers."

"There is a

So the task fell to me. And when the captain called that afternoon (still in his regimentals), I went to him alone. But before I had well entered upon the subject, Captain Kerleton interrupted me, and made Lucy a very handsome offer. I was at a nonplus: not knowing, now the affair came to be put on this regular footing, whether Lucy would have him or not. I went into the next room.

"Have him? of course," cried Aunt Copp.
"Have him? of course not," repeated Lucy.

"Niece Lucy, the matter is serious now, and you must not be childish over it. What is your objection?"

"I don't know enough of him," urged Lucy. "Consider, Aunt Copp, it is not a fortnight since we first set eyes on him. The idea of promising to marry a man after a fortnight's acquaintance!"

"You need not marry him, off-hand-or promise to. You can tell him you wish to see a little more of him before deciding: that will be neither accepting nor rejecting, and give you both time to improve your acquaintance with each other. I'll manage it."

Before we could prevent her, she dashed out of the room, and joined the captain, whom we could hear whistling, as he leaned from the window. What she said to him neither I nor Lucy knew, but she presently reappeared with the captain in her wake; and the latter, in the most ridiculous manner, fell on his regimental marrow-bones (as Aunt Copp expressed it afterwards) and began kissing Lucy's hand.

When we could get him off his knees and his heroics, which I thought was never going to be accomplished, I and Aunt Copp endeavoured to convince him how the case stood: that he was not to look upon Lucy as engaged to him, but that she was willing to meet him, as an acquaintance, till they had seen more of each other. Oh yes, yes, he agreed to everything, too glad to do it, except to taking back the presents. excited when it was named, and said that we should never mention it presents. He grew again, unless we wished to cut him to the throat. Whether he unintentionally substituted that word for heart, or whether he really contemplated making an illegitimate use of his shaving razors, in case his presents were rejected, we did not clearly comprehend. the presents, Lucy," cried Aunt Copp, "don't offend him it will be "Never mind time enough to send them back if you finally reject him."

So Captain Kerleton stayed on, at the Seaford Arms, and Aunt Copp stayed on with us, for she argued that to leave Lucy at such a critical period would not be "ship-shape." It came to be rumoured all about the village that the captain and Lucy were engaged, and some congratu

lated her, in spite of her denial, and some were envious. The captain had bought favour on all sides. When anybody gave a party, there would appear dishes of the choicest fruit, the offering of the captain, and baskets of fish were perpetually arriving everywhere, with the captain's card: he kept the younger ladies in gloves and bouquets, and once, when a concert was to be given in the village, for the benefit of the poor musicmaster, the captain bought up all the tickets, and treated everybody. Twice he scattered silver by the handful amongst the field labourers, and the village was in an uproar for days afterwards, to the wrath of the farmers and edification of the beer-shops. Nothing came amiss to the captain's purse; whatever he saw, he bought up and distributed, from parcels of new books to litters of sucking-pigs. As to Lucy, the things that arrived for her were just as incongruous. One morning there was a knock at the door, and upon Phoeby's answering it, an air cushion was delivered to her; an hour afterwards there came another knock, and this proved to be the milliner's girl, bearing a flaming rose-coloured bonnet and feathers. Aunt Copp thought these two articles must be meant for her, not being particularly suitable to Lucy: however, they were put by with the rest of the articles. As to remonstrating with Captain Kerleton, we had long given that over as a bad job, and had no resource but to take the things in. Many of them came from town, without address to send them back to, and we did not choose to raise a scandal, by despatching them to the captain's apartments at the inn.

But things could not go on like this for ever, and Lucy felt that she must accept or reject him. The captain felt so too, and came up one day, and told Lucy, in our presence, that he had been lying on tenterhooks all night (and for several previous nights besides), and would she marry him.

"I'll make her so happy," said the captain, appealing to Aunt Copp, for Lucy escaped from the room; "she shall have what she likes, and go where she likes. Would she like to see China?"

Aunt Copp thought not. It was too far. She had once, herself, been in the Chinese seas, and was glad, to her heart, to get into British ones again.

"Oh. Because distance is no object to me," explained the captain.

"I think, Captain Kerleton, that Lucy would wish to see a little of your family," I suggested.

"There's not a soul of it left, but me and my brother," answered the captain. "When he comes back from Scotland, I'll take Lucy up to see him, if she likes: which would be a good opportunity for her to get anything in London she may want for the wedding."

He evidently spoke in no bad faith. He did make simple remarks now and then, like one might expect to hear from a child.

"That's not the fashion in our part of the country, captain," said Aunt Copp, snapping him up. "Young ladies don't go on journeys with gentlemen, before they are married to them."

"But that is exactly what I want," returned the captain. "I have been ready to marry her, all along. It was Miss Lucy who would not. Will she marry me to-morrow?"

"Goodness, captain," remonstrated Aunt Copp.

"With no house,

and no establishment, and no anything! The neighbours would think us all out of our senses together.'

"Well, the long and the short of it is this, if Miss Lucy will not have me, I shall go and find somebody else that will," cried the captain, turning sulky an occasional failing of his. "And I'll go by the mail to-night, if she does not give me an answer to-day." Lucy gave him his answer-and accepted him. she said to me, did.

"But, Hester,"

"I do not care much for him." And I don't think she

"I am not hotly in love, you know," she went on, laughing, "like you were with somebody once upon a time. I don't fancy it is in my constitution: or else our friend the captain has failed to call it forth."

It was decided that, before fixing on any place for a residence, Captain Kerleton and Lucy should travel a little, after their marriage, taking Paris first. Lucy wished to live near me, and I thought of settling in London-as Lucy would have done also, had this marriage not intervened. The captain was perfectly agreeable to anything: would stop in the neighbourhood of Seaford, or live in London, or be a fixture in Paris, or steam it over to China. Everything that Lucy or Aunt Copp suggested, he fell in with. He seemed to think more about personal trifles. "Would you like me to go through the ceremony in my regimentals, Miss Lucy, or in plain clothes?" he inquired. "Such-let us say- -as a blue coat, white waistcoat, and black- these things," slapping his knee. "What is your advice?"

It was a very home question, especially before us, and Lucy blushed excessively. Perhaps Aunt Copp can tell ?" she stammered.

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"Oh, as to those trifles, it's not a bit of consequence," irreverently answered Aunt Copp. "When you two have once got your wedding over, you will know what nonsense it was to have made any fuss about it-as we old married stagers can tell you. Captain, of course you will have your brother down, to be groomsman?"

"No, I won't," replied the captain, bluntly. "He is the most interfering fellow going, always meddling and thwarting. You don't know the scrapes he has got me into, through his interference."

"But your own brother, Captain Kerleton," urged Aunt Copp. "It would be so very unfilial."

"Shouldn't care if he was my own mother," doggedly retorted the captain. "He is not coming down to my wedding.'

But Aunt Copp was of a different opinion. And what should she do, unknown to everybody, but despatch the following note to Major Kerleton, the captain's brother, at his town-house :

"DEAR SIR,-As we are soon to be near connexions, I make no apology for addressing you. Captain Kerleton being about to marry my niece, Miss Lucy Halliwell, I think it only seemly and right, that you, as the captain's elder brother and nearest relative, should be present to give your support and countenance to the ceremony. It will not take place for three weeks or a month, and we are only now beginning the preparations, but I write thus early to give an opportunity of my letter being forwarded to you in Scotland, where we hear you are staying.

If you oblige me with a line in reply, stating that you accord us the favour of your company, I will write again and let you know when the day is fixed. Remaining, dear sir,

"Your obedient servant,

"REBECCA COPP.

And Aunt Copp hugged herself in secret over what she had done, and told nobody.

Meanwhile we began to be actively engaged, getting Lucy ready for her wedding. One morning we were in the midst of work, Miss Bowen the dressmaker, who had come to us for the day, cutting out and contriving bodies, while we made skirts, when we saw Captain Kerleton approaching the house. So Lucy told Phoeby to say we were engaged, but would see him in the afternoon.

But the captain insisted on seeing Lucy, assuring Phoeby he had something very particular to communicate to her. So Lucy was obliged to go to him.

The captain wanted Lucy to go for a walk-with, of course, me or Aunt Copp; for she was not in the habit of walking out alone with him. Which was the "particular communication" he had to make.

"It is out of my power this morning," said Lucy to him. "We have some work about, which we cannot quit."

"Leave them to do it," advised the captain; "you come for a walk. Come by yourself: never mind what that old Aunt Copp says."

"They cannot do without me," replied Lucy. "The dressmaker is cutting out my morning dresses, and she wants me frequently to try them on."

"Put it off till to-morrow," urged the captain. "Work can be done one day as well as another. See what a splendid morning it is."

"Miss Bowen will not be here to-morrow," rejoined Lucy. "Indeed, I cannot leave them now."

"But I want you to come," persisted Captain Kerleton, somewhat (Lucy said subsequently) after the fractious manner of a spoiled child. "You must come. You'll never go and set up your rubbish of work in opposition to my wishes, Miss Lucy?"

"Do not put it in that light," said Lucy, gently. "My dresses must be tried on, you know, or they cannot be made, and if I went out they would be all at a stand-still. I shall be most happy to go with you later in the day."

"Then you won't grant me this simple favour ?"

"I can't," returned Lucy. And out rushed the captain, dashing-to the front door, and stamping away across the road.

In the evening he came again. We were at tea, taking it in the workroom, for convenience' sake, when Phoeby entered and said the captain wanted to speak with me. "Not Miss Lucy," Phoeby repeated, "you, miss." I went in. Captain Kerleton was sitting in the easy-chair, and looked very red and excited.

"Do you know how she behaved to me this morning?" he began, without preface or ceremony.

"Who?" I asked.

VOL. XXXIX.

2 F

"She. Miss Lucy. I asked her, as the greatest favour, to go for a little walk with me, and she told me to my face that she would not."

"She really could not, Captain Kerleton," I answered; "I have no doubt she would have liked to do so. You must not fancy she acted from any caprice: Lucy is not capable of it."

"She told me there was some trash of sewing going on, and she had to stop in for it."

"It was the case."

"Well," returned the captain, speaking in that dogged, obstinate manner which now and then came over him, "I look upon it in this light. When a young lady, who has promised to be your wife, makes an excuse that she can't go out with you, it is equivalent to saying she wants to break matters off. That is how I have taken it."

"Break-what?" I rejoined, staring at the captain with all my eyes, and feeling myself turn into a cold perspiration.

66

Why I conclude that Miss Lucy wished to make known, in a roundabout way, that she was tired of me. And I have acted upon it."

"Dear Captain Kerleton," I said, "you are entirely mistaken. I can assure you Lucy is perfectly faithful to you. The work she had to stay in for, was in preparation for her marriage."

"Well, it's too late now," cried the captain, with redoubled obstinacy, "for I think I know somebody who would suit me better."

I sat opposite to him, glued to my chair, unable to utter a word, and wondering whether he had taken leave of his senses. He, however, was not glued to his, for he suddenly rose from it, and dropped down on his knees, close to me.

"My dear Miss Hester, it's you, and nobody else. I do think you the most charming, amiable creature, and I have transferred my affection from Miss Lucy to you. Will have me?" you

I never was so taken aback in my life, and a suspicion did cross me, in earnest, that Lucy's refusal in the morning must have sent the captain's brains to flight. He would neither get up nor let me, having taken forcible possession of my hands. While we were in this ridiculous position, who should come bustling into the room, with the sugar-basin, but Aunt Copp.

"Why what on earth-Hester! what's the matter?"

The captain took a step away from me, on his knees, and addressed himself to Aunt Copp, affording me opportunity to rise up.

"Miss Lucy has cut me, ma'am. That is, she acted-purposely-so as to make me cut her; and my affections are now fixed on Miss Hester. I was on the point of praying her to name her own day for our union, when you interrupted us."

"Good patience deliver us!" uttered Aunt Copp, her mouth opening with astonishment, and stopping so. "Whatever is all this ?"

I could not speak for laughing then, the whole thing struck me as so supremely absurd. There knelt Captain Kerleton in the everlasting regimentals, his hands thrown theatrically out towards aunt, and his face twisted into a die-away expression towards me, while Aunt Copp stood arrested in the middle of the room, one hand supporting the sugar-basin, and the other the silver tongs, her face being turned to petrifaction, and her eyes rolling from one to the other of us in a sort of horror.