to talk about a person--one's uncle,
one doesn't know, be----" she did not like to say behind his back, but
the faltering little tongue stuck fast, and the small sensitive face of
the child looked a little confused.

"Ah! behind his back," spoke the boy readily. "Well, perhaps not; but
you'll know him soon enough, I'm quite sure, and all about Peggy, too.
Peggy is the best of the couple," he added.

"Do you mean Mrs. Grant, my uncle's housekeeper?"

"Yes, that very lady--only, you see, I like to call her Peggy."

"Yes," returned the child, supposing she ought to say something.

"'Tis a farm, you know--jolly old place. Do you know that?"

"Yes--that is, I know 'tis a farm; mamma told me that. But I didn't know
'twas jolly; mamma said 'twas very pretty, and home-like, and nice."

"Ah, yes! just a lady's view of the place," nodded the boy approvingly.
"The farm is the best part of it all, and so you'll say when----"

"Perhaps we'll not talk about it," broke in "little friend" timidly.

"Well, you are a precise little lady not to talk about a farm, your
uncle's farm, behind its back," laughed the boy.

"It's mamma's uncle," corrected the little maiden.

"Ah, yes! and your great uncle. Well, I thought he was an old fogey to
be your uncle--I beg your pardon--old _gentleman_ I mean." He laughed
and made a low bow, but his cheeks took a rosier tint at that real slip
of his tongue.

"Well, suppose we talk about ourselves; that wouldn't be behind our own
backs, would it?"

"Oh no!" came with a pretty jingle of laughter.

"Do you know my name? Dick."

"I thought so," replied the little girl.

"You did!--why?"

"You look like a Dick."

"Well, that's just like a girl's bosh--but still, you're right: I am
Dick Gregory, son of George Gregory, surgeon, living at Lakely, next
station to Cherton, where you get out, you know."

The girl nodded.

"Now, mademoiselle, what may your name be?" he asked, as the train
carried them into the station with a whiz.

"Inna Weston."

"Inna: is that short for anything?"

"Yes--for Peninnah: papa's mother's name is Peninnah; and so, and
so----"

"And so your father chose to let you play grandmother to yourself in the
matter of names?"

"Yes," a little ripple of a word full of laughter--her companion was so
funny.

"Now guess what's in this hamper?" was Dick's next proposition; "that's
safe ground, you know, to guess over a hamper when the owner bids you,"
he added, by w