has been honoured by becoming
Alfred's affianced. Letty Tew fulfilled all the conditions desirable
in one called to so trying a destiny. She was a pretty, supple,
sweet-mannered girl, and, as is the case with such girls, found it
possible to worship a man whom in consistency she must have deemed the
most condemnable of heretics. She and Adela were close friends; Adela
indeed, had no other friend in the nearer sense. The two were made of
very different fibre, but that had not as yet distinctly shown.

Adela's reproof was not wholly without effect; her brother got through
the evening without proceeding to his extremest truculence, still the
conversation was entirely of his leading, consequently not a little
argumentative. He had brought home, as he always did on Saturday, a
batch of ultra periodicals, among them the 'Fiery Cross,' and his own
eloquence was supplemented by the reading of excerpts from these lively
columns. It was a combat of three to one, but the majority did little
beyond throwing up hands at anything particularly outrageous. Adela said
much less than usual. 'I tell you what it is, you three!' Alfred
cried, at a certain climax of enthusiasm, addressing the ladies with
characteristic courtesy, 'we'll found a branch of the Union in Wanley; I
mean, in our particular circle of thickheads. Then, as soon as Mutimer's
settlement gets going, we can coalesce. Now you two girls give next
week to going round and soliciting subscriptions for the "Fiery Cross."
People have had time to get over the first scare, and you know they
can't refuse such as you. Quarterly, one-and-eightpence, including
postage.'

'But, my dear Alfred,' cried Adela, 'remember that Letty and I are _not_
Socialists!'

'Letty is, because I expect it of her, and you can't refuse to keep her
in countenance.'

The girls laughed merrily at this anticipated lordship; but Letty said
presently--

'I believe father will take the paper if I ask him. One is better than
nothing, isn't it, Alfred?'

'Good. We book Stephen Tew, Esquire.'

'But surely you mustn't call him Esquire?' suggested Adela.

'Oh, he is yet unregenerate; let him keep his baubles.'

'How are the regenerate designated?'

'Comrade, we prefer.'

'Also applied to women?'

'Well, I suppose not. As the word hasn't a feminine, call yourselves
plain Letty Tew and Adela Waltham, without meaningless prefix.'

'What nonsense you are talking, Alfred!' remarked his mother. 'As
if ev