any company for me. My fate is in your hands; it is in woman's power to
either make or marry the roan who loves her--"

"Provided, always, that her legal guardian consents," interrupted the
benignant voice of Mr. DIBBLE, who, unperceived by them, had entered the
room in time to finish the sentence.

Springing alertly to an upright position, and coughing excessively, Mr.
PENDRAGON was a shamefaced reproach to his whole sex, while the young
lady used the edge of her right foot against a seam of the carpet with
that extreme solicitude as to the result which is always so entirely
deceiving to those who have hoped to see her show signs of painful
embarrassment.

After surveying them in thoughtful silence for a moment, the old lawyer
bent over his ward, and hugged and kissed her with an unctuousness
justified by his great age and extreme goodness. It was his fine old way
of bestowing an inestimable blessing upon all the plump younger women of
his acquaintance, and the benediction was conferred on the slightest
pretexts, and impartially, up to a certain age.

"Am I to construe what I have seen and heard, my dear, as equivalent to
the conclusion of my guardianship?" he asked, smilingly.

"Oh, please don't be so ridiculous--oh, I never was so exquisitely
nervous," pleaded the helpless, fluttered young creature.

"I reckon I've betrayed your confidence, sir," said MONTGOMERY,
desperately; "but you must have known, from hearsay at least, how I have
felt toward this young lady ever since our first meeting, and should not