"Yes, there's nothing like a lawful wife to break a man in, as you will
find some day. Howsomever, your time's not come for the altar, so
suppose you give Helen your arm, and come with us."

"Do," said Helen, in a sweet, coaxing voice.

Ardworth bent down his rough, earnest face to Helen's, and an evident
pleasure relaxed its thoughtful lines. "I cannot resist you," he began,
and then he paused and frowned. "Pish!" he added, "I was talking folly;
but what head would not you turn? Resist you I must, for I am on my way
now to my drudgery. Ask me anything some years hence, when I have time
to be happy, and then see if I am the bear you now call me."

"Well," said Mrs. Mivers, emphatically, "are you coming, or are you not?
Don't stand there shilly-shally."

"Mrs. Mivers," returned Ardworth, with a kind of sly humour, "I am sure
you would be very angry with your husband's excellent shopmen if that was
the way they spoke to your customers. If some unhappy dropper-in,--some
lady who came to buy a yard or so of Irish,--was suddenly dazzled, as I
am, by a luxury wholly unforeseen and eagerly coveted,--a splendid lace
veil, or a ravishing cashmere, or whatever else you ladies desiderate,--
and while she was balancing between prudence and temptation, your foreman
exclaimed: `Don't stand shilly-shally'--come, I put it to you."

"Stuff!" said Mrs. Mivers.

"Alas! unlike your imaginary customer (I hope so, at least, for the sake
of your till), prudence gets the better of me; unless," added Ardworth,