"Don't balk yourself, Nelly, I like it. I should like to be teased by you
all my life," he said in lower tones.

The girl flushed up rosy red. "If you could always remain as you are now,"
she said after a little pause, "just an impudent midshipman, I should not
mind it. Do you know, Dick, they give terriers gin to prevent their
growing; don't you think you might stop yourself? It is quite sad," she
went on pathetically, "to think that you may grow up into a great
lumbering man."

"I am quite in earnest, Nelly," Dick said, looking preternaturally stern.

"Yes," Nelly said, "I have always understood midshipmen were quite in
earnest when they talked nonsense."

"I am quite in earnest," Dick said solemnly and fixedly again.

"No, really, Dick, we are too old for that game," Nelly said, with a great
affectation of gravity. "I think we could enjoy hide-and-seek together, or
even blindman's buff; but you know children never play at being little
lovers after they are quite small. I remember a dear little boy, he used
to wear pinafores----"

Here Mrs. Hargreaves again entered the room, and Dick, jumping up
suddenly, said that it was quite time for him to be off. "I shall only
just have time to be back by the time I promised."

"Good-by, Dick. I hope to see you again tomorrow."