t," said Matilda, softened by his
contrition. "And I'm keeping you out in the passage all this time. Come
in, and be introduced to mamma; she's in the front parlour, waiting to
make your acquaintance."

Mrs. Collum was a stout lady, with a thin voice. She struck a nameless
fear into Leander's soul as he was led up to where she sat. He
thought that she contained all the promise of a very terrible
mother-in-law.

[Illustration: SHE STRUCK A NAMELESS FEAR INTO LEANDER'S SOUL.]

"This is Leander, mamma dear," said Matilda, shyly and yet proudly.

Her mother inspected him for a moment, and then half closed her eyes.
"My daughter tells me that you carry on the occupation of a
hairdresser," she said.

"Quite correct, madam," said Leander; "I do."

"Ah! well," she said, with an unconcealed sigh, "I could have wished to
look higher than hairdressing for my Matilda; but there are
opportunities of doing good even as a hairdresser. I trust you are
sensible of that."

"I try to do as little 'arm as I can," he said feebly.

"If you do not do good, you must do harm," she said uncompromisingly.
"You have it in your means to be an awakening influence. No one knows
the power that a single serious hairdresser might effect with worldly
customers. Have you never thought of that?"

"Well, I can't say I have exactly," he said; "and I don't see how."

"There are cheap and appropriate illuminated texts," she said, "to be
had at so much a dozen; you could hang them on your walls. There are
tracts you procure by the hundred; you could put them in the lining of
hats as you hang them up; you could wrap them round your--your bottles
and pomatum-pots. You could drop a word in season in your customer's ear
as you bent over him. And you tell me you don't see how; you _will_ not
see, I fear, Mr. Tweddle."

"I'm afraid, mum," he replied, "my customers would consider I was taking
liberties."

"And what of that, so long as you save them?"

"Well, you see, I shouldn't--I should _lose_ 'em! And it's not done in
our profession; and, to tell you the honest truth, I'm not given that
way myself--not to the extent of tracks and suchlike, that is."

Matilda's mother groaned; it was hard to find a son-in-law with whom she
had nothing in common, and who was a hairdresser into the bargain.

"Well, well," she said, "we must expect crosses in this life; though for
my own daughter to lay this one upon me is--is----But I will not
repine."

"I'm sorry