Just look, dear."

Mary went to the window, but there was no need, for she knew the step;
and as her mother glanced at her, she saw the girl's face harden as she
said--

"Mr Barnett, father."

"Humph! What does he want to-night?" muttered Ellis. "Let him in, my
dear; and, Mary, my girl, don't run away out of the room."

Mary was silent, and a tapping came at the door, evidently administered
by the head of a stick.

"Evening, Miss Mary," said the visitor briskly. "Nice growing weather.
Father at home?"

"Yes, I'm at home. Want me, Daniel Barnett?"

"Well, yes, Mr Ellis, sir, there's a little bit o' business I want to
see you about. I ought to have asked you this morning and down at the
gardens, but somehow I've always got such a lot of things on my mind
there that a lot of 'em slip out again."

"Come in then, come in then," said Ellis.

"Not if it's disturbing you, sir," protested the visitor. "Say the
word, and I'll go and come up another evening. I don't mind a walk,
Miss Mary," he added, in a confidential way.

"Business, business, Daniel Barnett! And there's nothing like getting
it over," said Ellis, as, after a good deal of preliminary shoe-rubbing,
Barnett stepped to the door of the sitting-room, and then stopped short
in a very apologetic way.

"Why, you're just going to supper. I'd best come up to-morrow night."

James Ellis felt in the best of humours, and he smiled.

"Well," he said, "if you come to-morrow evening, I suppose I shall have
some supper then. Sit down, man, and out with it."

"Oh, thank you, Mr Ellis, and with many apologies to you, Mrs Ellis,
ma'am, and to you too, Miss Mary."

"Why, hallo! Daniel Barnett. Been to the bookseller's lately?"

"Eh? No, sir, I haven't been to the town for a fortnight past," said
Barnett wonderingly.

"Oh," said the bailiff, with a knowing look at his wife and daughter; "I
thought perhaps you'd bought and been studying up _Etiquette for
Gentlemen_."

"No, no, sir! Ha, ha, ha! That's a good one, Mr Ellis. Oh, no, sir,
I'm only a rough one, and what I know of etiquetty came up natural
like--like--"

"Mushrooms?"

"That's a good one too!" cried Barnett, with forced gaiety. "He's
having his little joke at me, Miss Mary."

"There, never mind them," said the bailiff, "let's have the business and
get it over. What is it?"

"Of course, sir. It won't take long."

"Shall we go in the kitchen, James?" said Mrs Ellis.

"Eh, ma'a