low creatures by looking out!' said Miss Croply, as shouts louder
than ordinary rose from the street, and old Tom stepped to the window.
The noise came nearer. It sounded like, 'Miss Prior for ever!' We
rushed in a body to the windows. Miss Croply herself drew the curtain.
There was a woman borne in a garden-chair, dangerously high, by the
most zealous of the Cloudeslyites, while the rest followed in
applauding procession, augmented every moment, and Tom's hands went
together like the 'crack of doom' as he exclaimed: 'By jingo, it's my
own daughter!'

Lily it was, in her pretty green gown, white shawl, and gay new
bonnet--it was trimmed with pale-green and white: as for her face, it
expressed nothing but 'Dear me!' I never saw such philosophy. Out
rushed Tom, so did all the men of us, and followed the crowd up the
street, and down the lane to the front of Cloudesly's house, where we
arrived just in time to see the gallant Sommerset hand Lily from her
chair with the air of a man about to kneel. Poor Cloudesly! he was
both weak and strong, but a good fellow at heart.

'She wore my colours, and suffered for my sake,' was all he said, as
with Lily on his arm he marched back with us to Miss Croply's
drawing-room, followed by the crowd, shouting: 'Prior and Cloudesly
for ever!'

'Lily, dear, what's the meaning of this?' said old Mrs Prior.

'I thought I would take a look,' said Lily calmly; 'and they all got
about me, saying I had on Mr Cloudesly's colours, and'----

'So you did wear his colours,' cried Miss Croply; 'and I'm proud of
you for keeping up your principles! Mrs Prior, I always knew there was
something great in that girl!'

'It's just the bonnet my aunt sent me,' said Lily; 'and I didn't
mean'----

'Never mind what you meant,' cried Miss Croply, in whose mind policy
as well as romance might have been at work at that moment: 'we don't
want no excuses.'

In short, Lily was made a heroine that evening. Her father and mother
thought themselves called upon to rebuke, but it was done rather in
the encouraging style, especially when Mr Cloudesly gave the company
to understand that henceforth he was to be considered Lily's humble
servant. Isn't that the proper phrase, readers? And Miss Prior, who
had not her composure to regain, coloured slightly, and finished the
matter by saying: 'Dear me!'

I have heard from herself, that she had put on her aunt's bonnet, and
come quietly through the lane, when it struck