iend will accept them, but the present is all your
own."

"Eh! give 'em me, all free gratis, and for nothing!" exclaimed Lawless,
overpowered at the idea of such munificence. "Why, you'll go and ruin
yourself--Queen's Bench, whitewash, and all the rest of it! Recollect,
you'll have a wife to keep soon, and that isn't done for nothing they
tell me--pin-money, ruination-shops, diamonds, kid gloves, and bonnet
ribbons--that's the way to circulate the tin; there are some losses
that may be gains, eh? When one comes to think of all these things,
it strikes me I'm well out of it, eh, Mr. Frampton?--Mind you, I don't
think that really," he added aside to me, "only I want Harry to fancy I
don't care two straws about it; he's such a feeling fellow is Harry, lie
would not be properly jolly if he thought I took it to heart much."

~388~~ "Umph! if those are your ideas about matrimony, sir," growled
Mr. Frampton, "I think you are quite right to leave it alone--puppy-dogs
have no business with wives." "Now don't be grumpy, governor," returned
Lawless, "when you've had your own way about the toast and all. Take
another glass of that old port, that's the stuff that makes your hair
curl and look so pretty" [Mr. Framp-ton's _chevelure_ was to be likened
only to a grey scrubbing-brush], "we'll send for the new dog-cart
to-morrow, and you shall be the first man to ride behind the chestnuts."
"Thank ye kindly, I'll take your advice at all events," replied Mr.
Frampton, helping himself to a glass of port; "and as to your offer, why
I'll transfer that to him (indicating Coleman), 'funny boy,' as I used
to call him, when he _was_ a boy, and he doesn't seem much altered in
that particular now. Umph!"

This, as was intended, elicited a repartee from Coleman, and the evening
passed away merrily, although I could perceive, in spite of his attempts
to seem gay, that poor Lawless felt the destruction of his hopes deeply.

On my return to the cottage, the servant informed me that a man had been
there, who wished very particularly to see me; that she had offered to
send for me, but that he had professed himself unable to wait.

"What kind of looking person was he?" inquired I. "He was an oldish
man, sir; very tall and thin, with grey hair, and he rode a little rough
pony." "Did he leave no note or message?" "He left this note, sir."

Hastily seizing it, I locked myself into my own room, and tearing open
the paper, read as follows:--

"Honoured