"Show this young man out."

"He may have some message, Sir," said Hiram, who had heard the preceding
conversation.

"Have you got any message?" asked Mr. Burt.

"No, Sir; but I--"

"Then why, in Heaven's name, don't you go?"

"Mr. Burt," said Abel, with placid persistence, "being one of Mr. Gray's
boys, I go of course to Dr. Peewee's Church, and there I have so often
seen--"

"Come, come, Sir, this is a little too much. Hiram, put this boy out,"
said the old gentleman, quite beside himself as he thought of his
grand-daughter. "Seen, indeed! What business have you to see, Sir?"

"So often seen your venerable figure," resumed Abel in the same tone as
before, while Mr. Burt turned suddenly and looked at him closely, "that I
naturally asked who you were. I was told, Sir; and hearing of your wealth
and old family, and so on, Sir, I was interested--it was only natural,
Sir--in all that belongs to you."

"Eh! eh! what?" said Mr. Burt, quickly.

"Particularly, Mr. Burt, in your--"

"By Jove! young man, you'd better go if you don't want to have your