tle left for you. There wouldn't have been if the two bears
had known where it was.'

'Mr. Falkirk was fearfully growly this morning,' said Wych
Hazel. 'And every time he growled Gotham grumbled. So I had a
fusillade. Where is your fruit, Byo?'

'There was none brought in yesterday, Miss Wych, I'm sorry to
say.'

'None at all in the house?'

'There's a basket in your room, my dear; but of course'--

'Not "of course" at all,' said the girl, jumping up to go for
it. 'You know that is a sort of fruit I never eat.'

Which might have left it doubtful what sort she _did_ eat,--the
basket contained so many, in such splendid variety. Hazel sat
down in her place and began to pile up the beauties in a
majolica dish.

'Aren't you going to give me some?' said Rollo, looking on.

The answer tarried while Hazel's little fingers dived down
after peaches and plums of extra size with which to crown her
dish; but so doing, they suddenly brought up a white note,
suspiciously sealed with red wax. The girl dropped it, as if
it had been a wasp; and hastily setting the basket down on the
floor, pushed the unfinished dish to a position before Mr.
Rollo.

'There!' she said, 'will that do?'

'Do you mean that you give me all these?'

'Every bit.'

'Mrs. Bywank, might I make interest with you for a finger-
glass?'

Which being supplied, the gentleman proceeded to a leisurely
ablution of his fingers, and then looked at the dish of fruit
before him with grave consideration.

'Which is the best?' said he.

'They all look about alike, to me,' said Wych Hazel, raising
her eyebrows. 'I shall be happy to hear, when you have found
out.'

Exercising a great deal of deliberation, Rollo finally chose
out a bunch of Frontignac grapes and two Moorpark apricots,
and set them before Wych Hazel.

'Will you accept these from me?' he said, coolly. 'They are my
own property, and are offered to you. Taste and see if they
are as good as they ought to be.'

She looked up, and down, laughing.

'That is the way you come round people! Will you take the
responsibility? Suppose I am asked, some day, whether they--
were--what they ought to be?'

'You can puzzle him just as well after knowing the fact, as
before,' Rollo said, with perfect gravity.

'Well,' said Hazel, pulling a grape from the bunch. 'Perhaps
my misleading powers may be equal to that. This one is quite
good--and not at all sour,' she added, with a flash of her
eyes--which, ho