arry a peer, and beside all this, though he loved 'Sister Becky,' her
yoke galled him; and I think he was not altogether sorry at the notion
of a little more liberty.

At the same moment honest Peter Brien, having set his basket of winter
greens down upon the kitchen-table, electrified his auditory by telling
them, with a broad grin and an oath, that he had seen Lieutenant Puddock
and Aunt Rebecca kiss in the garden, with a good smart smack, 'by the
powers, within three yards of his elbow, when he was stooping down
cutting them greens!' At which profanity, old Mistress Dorothy, Aunt
Rebecca's maid, was so incensed that she rose and left the kitchen
without a word. The sensation there, however, was immense; and Mistress
Dorothy heard the gabble and laughter fast and furious behind her until
she reached the hall.

Captain Cluffe was asking for Aunt Rebecca when Puddock and the general
reached the hall-door, and was surprised to learn that she was not to be
seen. 'If she knew 'twas I,' he thought, 'but no matter.'

'Oh, _we_ could have told you that; eh, Puddock?' cried the general;
''tisn't everybody can see my sister to-day, captain; a very peculiar
engagement, eh, Puddock?' and a sly wink and a chuckle.

Cluffe smiled a little, and looked rather conscious and queer, but
pleased with himself; and his eyes wandered over the front windows
hastily, to see if Aunt Becky was looking out, for he fancied there was
something in the general's quizzing, and that the lady might have said
more than she quite intended to poor little Puddock on the subject of
the gallant mediator; and that, in fact, he was somehow the theme of
some little sentimental disclosure of the lady's. What the plague else
could they both mean by quizzing Cluffe about her?

Puddock and he had not gone half-way down the short avenue, when Cluffe
said, with a sheepish smile:

'Miss Rebecca Chattesworth dropped something in her talk with you,
Puddock, I see that plain enough, my dear fellow, which the general has
no objection I should hear, and, hang it, I don't see any myself. I say,
I may as well hear it, eh? I venture to say there's no great harm in it.'

At first Puddock was reserved, but recollecting that he had been left
quite free to tell whom he pleased, he made up his mind to unbosom; and
suggested, for the sake of quiet and a longer conversation, that they
should go round by the ferry.

'No, I thank you, I've had enough of that; we can walk along