irresolutely, and glancing at Helen,--"unless, indeed, you are not
sufficiently protected, and--"

"Purtected!" exclaimed Mrs. Mivers, in an indignant tone of astonishment,
and agitating the formidable umbrella; "as if I was not enough, with the
help of this here domestic commodity, to purtect a dozen such.
Purtected, indeed!"

"John is right, Mrs. M.,--business is business," said Mr. Mivers. "Let
us move on; we stop the way, and those idle lads are listening to us, and
sniggering."

"Sniggering!" exclaimed the gentle helpmate. "I should like to see those
who presume for to snigger;" and as she spoke, she threw a look of
defiance around her. Then, having thus satisfied her resentment, she
prepared to obey, as no doubt she always did, her lord and master.
Suddenly, with a practised movement, she wheeled round Mr. Mivers, and
taking care to protrude before him the sharp point of the umbrella, cut
her way through the crowd like the scythed car of the Ancient Britons,
and was soon lost amidst the throng, although her way might be guessed by
a slight ripple of peculiar agitation along the general stream,
accompanied by a prolonged murmur of reproach or expostulation which
gradually died in the distance.

Ardworth gazed after the fair form of Helen with a look of regret; and
when it vanished, with a slight start and a suppressed sigh he turned
away, and with the long, steady stride of a strong man, cleared his path
through the Strand towards the printing-office of a journal on which he
was responsibly engaged.