able Bella, "but I won't
trouble you. I haven't an appetite to-day--like I had at those gardens."

There was a challenge in this answer--not only to him, but to general
curiosity--which, to her evident disappointment, was not taken up.

Leander turned to Jauncy. "I--I suppose you had no trouble in finding
your way here?" he said.

"No," said Jauncy, "not more than usual; the streets were pretty full,
and that makes it harder to get along."

"We met such quantities of soldiers," put in Bella. "Do you remember
those two soldiers at Rosherwich, Mr. Tweddle? How funny they did look,
dancing; didn't they? But I suppose I mustn't say anything about the
dancing here, must I?"

"Since," said the poor badgered man, "you put it to me, Miss Parkinson,
I must say that, considering the _day_, you know----"

"Yes," continued Mrs. Collum, severely; "surely there are better topics
for the Sabbath than--than a dancing soldier!"

"Mr. Tweddle knows why I stopped myself," said Bella. "But there, I
won't tell of you--not now, at all events; so don't look like that at
me!"

"There, Bella, that'll do," said her _fiance_, suddenly awakening to the
fact that she was trying to make herself disagreeable, and perhaps
feeling slightly ashamed of her.

"James! I know what to say and what to leave unsaid, without tellings
from you; thanks all the same. You needn't fear my saying a word about
Mr. Tweddle and Ada--la, now, if I haven't gone and said it! What a
stupid I am to run on so!"

"_Drop_ it, Bella! Do you hear? That's enough," growled Jauncy.

Leander sat silent; he did not attempt again to turn the conversation:
he knew better. Matilda seemed perfectly calm, and certainly showed no
surface curiosity; but he feared that her mother intended to require
explanations.

Miss Tweddle came in here with the original remark that winter had begun
now in good earnest.

"Yes," said Bella. "Why, as we came along, there wasn't hardly a leaf on
the trees in the squares; and yet only yesterday week, at the gardens,
the trees hadn't begun to shed. Had they, Mr. Tweddle? Oh, but I forgot;
you were so taken up with paying attention to Ada----(_Well_, James! I
suppose I can make a remark!)"

"I'll never take you out again, if you don't hold that tongue," he
whispered savagely.

Mrs. Collum fixed her eyes on Leander, as he sat cowering on her right.
"Leander Tweddle," she said, in a hissing whisper, "what is that young
person talking about? Who