end."

"Yes, dear, I quite agree with you. But 50L a year is a great
deal to make him pay."

"Not a bit too much, Lizzie. His allowance is quite enough
without it to keep him like a gentleman. Besides, after all, he
gets it in meal or in malt; I have just paid 25L for his gun."

"I know how kind and liberal you are to him; only I am so afraid
of his getting into debt."

"I wonder what men would do, if they hadn't some soft-hearted
woman always ready to take their parts and pull them out of
scrapes," said Mr. Brown. "Well, dear, how much do you want to
give the boy!"

"Twenty-five pounds, just for this year. But out of my own
allowance, John."

"Nonsense!" replied Mr. Brown; "you want your allowance for
yourself and the children."

"Indeed, dear John, I would sooner not do it at all, then, if I
may not do it out of my own money."

"Well, have it your own way. I believe you would always look
well-dressed, if you never bought another gown. Then, to go back
to what we were talking about just now--you will find a room for
the girl somehow?"

"Yes, dear, certainly, as I see you are bent on it."

"I think it would be scarcely civil not to ask her, especially if
Katie comes. And I own I think her very pretty, and have taken a
great fancy to her."

"Isn't it odd that Tom should never have said anything about her
to us? He has talked of all the rest till I knew them quite well
before I went there."

"No; it seems to me the most natural thing in the world."

"Yes, dear, very natural. But I can't help wishing he had talked
about her more; I should think it less dangerous."

"Oh, you think Master Tom is in love with her, eh?" said Mr.
Brown, laughing.

"More unlikely things have happened. You take it very easily,
John."

"Well, we have all been boys and girls, Lizzie. The world hasn't
altered much, I suppose, since I used to get up at five on winter
mornings, to ride some twenty miles to cover, on the chance of
meeting a young lady on a grey pony. I remember how my poor dear
old father used to wonder at it, when our hounds met close by in
a better country. I'm afraid I forgot to tell him what a pretty
creature 'Gipsy' was, and how well she was ridden."

"But Tom is only twenty, and he must go into a profession."

"Yes, yes; much to young, I know--too young for anything serious.
We had better see them together and then if there is anything in
it, we can keep them apart. There cannot be much the matter yet."