people shouldn't have it all to themselves; and as Buggins was
of the same way of thinking, they were married at St Mary-le-Strand
that very morning.

And this marriage would have been of no moment to us or to our little
history, had not Mr Maguire chosen that morning, of all mornings
in the year, to call on Miss Mackenzie in Arundel Street. He had
obtained her address--of course, from Miss Colza; and, not having
been idle the while in pushing his inquiries respecting Miss
Mackenzie's affairs, had now come to Arundel Street to carry on the
battle as best he might. Margaret was still in her room as he came,
and as the girl could not show the gentleman up there, she took him
into an empty parlour, and brought the tidings up to the lodger. Mr
Maguire had not sent up his name; but a personal description by the
girl at once made Margaret know who was there.

"I won't see him," said she, with heightened colour, grieving greatly
that the strong-minded Hannah Protheroe,--or Buggins, as it might
probably be by that time,--was not at home. "Martha, don't let him
come up. Tell him to go away at once."

After some persuasion, the girl went down with the message, which she
softened to suit her own idea of propriety. But she returned, saying
that the gentleman was very urgent. He insisted that he must see Miss
Mackenzie, if only for an instant, before he left the house.

"Tell him," said Margaret, "that nothing shall induce me to see him.
I'll send for a policeman. If he won't go when he's told, Martha, you
must go for a policeman."

Martha, when she heard that, became frightened about the spoons and
coats, and ran down again in a hurry. Then she came up again with a
scrap of paper, on which a few words had been written with a pencil.
This was passed through a very narrow opening in the door, as
Margaret stood with it guarded, fearing lest the enemy might carry
the point by an assault.

"You are being robbed," said the note, "you are, indeed,--and my only
wish is to protect you."

"Tell him that there is no answer, and that I will receive no more
notes from him," said Margaret. Then, at last, when he received that
message, Mr Maguire went away.

About a week after that, another visitor came to Miss Mackenzie, and
him she received. But he was not the man for whose coming she in
truth longed. It was Mr Samuel Rubb who now called, and when Mrs
Buggins told her lodger that he was in the parlour, she went down
to see him willin