ed up before she had quite dissolved herself away.'

'Is that really all?'

'The sum total of the whole, as sure as--' said Harry, pausing for an
asseveration, and ending with 'as sure as your name is Dick May;'
whereat they both fell a-laughing, though they were hardly drops of
laughter that Harry brushed from the weather-marked pucker in the comer
of his eyes; and Dr. May gave a sigh of relief, and said, 'Well, that's
right!'

'Where's the latch-key? I must run down and put Cheviot out of his
misery.'

'It is eleven o'clock, he'll be gone to bed.'

'Then I would forbid the banns. Where does he hang out? Has he got
into old Hoxton's?'

'No, it is being revivified. He is at Davis's lodgings. But I advise
you not, a little suspense will do him good.'

'One would think you had never been in love,' said Harry, indignantly.
'At least, I can't sleep till I've shaken hands with the old fellow.
Good night, father. I'll not be long.'

He kept his word, and the same voice greeted him out of the
dressing-room: 'How was the spirit of the fell? Sleep'st thou,
brother?'

'Brother, nay,' answered Harry, 'he was only looking over Latin verses!
He always was a cool hand.'

'The spirit of the Fell--Dr. Fell, with a vengeance,' said Dr. May. 'I
say, Harry, is this going to be a mere business transaction on his
part? Young folks have not a bit of romance in these days, and one
does not know where to have them; but if I thought--'

'You may be sure of him, sir,' said Harry, speaking the more eagerly
because he suspected the impression his own manner had made; 'he is
thoroughly worthy, and feels Mary's merits pretty nearly as much as I
do. More, perhaps, I ought to say. There's more warmth in him than
shows. I don't know that Norman ever could have gone through that
terrible time after the accident, but for the care he took of him. And
that little brother of his that sailed with me in the Eurydice, and
died at Singapore--I know how he looked to his brother Charles, and I
do assure you, father, you could not put the dear Mary into safer,
sounder hands, or where she could be more prized or happier. He is
coming up to-morrow morning, and you'll see he is in earnest in spite
of all his set speeches. Good night, father; I am glad to be in time
for the last of my Polly.'

This was almost the only moment at which Harry betrayed a consciousness
that his Polly was less completely his own. And yet it seemed as if it
must