dness?"

"By making my friend Freddy a good wife, and being married on the same
day that I am."

"That you are! are you joking?"

"Never was more serious in my life, I can assure you."

"Are you really going to be married? Oh! I am so glad! Is the lady a
nice person? do I know her?"

"The most charming person in the world," replied I, "and you know her
intimately."

"Why, you can't mean Cla----"

"Hush!" exclaimed I, as a sudden silence rendered our conversation no
longer private.

"Lucy, my dear, may I request your company for a few minutes in my
study?" said Mr. Coleman, holding the door open with an air of dignified
courtesy for his niece to pass out. She had acquired double importance
in his eyes, since the eldest son of a real live peer of the realm had
declared himself her suitor.

"Allow me, governor--ar--Mr. Coleman, I mean," said Lawless, springing
forward, "it's for us young fellows to hold doors open, you know--not
old reprobates like you," he added in an undertone, making a grimace
for my especial benefit at the retreating figure of the aforesaid
irreverently apostrophised legal luminary.

"Ah!" said Mrs. Coleman, by whom this by-play had been unobserved, "I
wish all young men were like you, ~436~~ Mr. Lawless: we see very little
respect to grey hairs nowadays."

"Very little indeed, ma'am," returned Lawless, winking furiously at me;
"but from a boy I've always been that way inclined: I dare say that you
observed that I addressed Mr. Coleman as 'Governor' just now?"

"Oh yes, I think I did," replied Mrs. Coleman innocently.

"Well, ma'am, that's a habit I've fallen into from unconsciously giving
utterance to my feelings of veneration. To govern, is a venerable
attribute--governor signifies one who governs--hence my inadvertent
application of the term to your revered husband, eh?"

"Ah!" returned poor Mrs. Coleman, thoroughly mystified, "it's very
kind of you to say so, I'm sure. I wonder whether I left my knitting
upstairs, or whether it went down in the luncheon-tray."

In order to solve this important problem, the good lady trotted off,
leaving Lawless and myself _tete-a-tete_.

"I say, Frank," he began, as the door closed after her, "did you put
the young woman up to trap at all? I saw you were 'discoursing' her, as
Paddy says, while we were at luncheon, eh?"

"No," replied I, "it was agreed that she was not to be let into the
scheme, you know."

"By Jove! then all those kind looks