r of a tee with me on my birthday, and I am your
affected little Nuttie'!

She hoped to explain and lament the next morning, after church. He
would surely come to talk it over with her; but he only returned a
civil note with his receipt, and she did not see him again before his
departure. She was greatly vexed; she had wanted so much to tell him
how it was, and then came an inward consciousness that she would
probably have told him a great deal too much.

Was it that tiresome prudence of his again that would think for her and
prevent impulsive and indignant disclosures? It made her bring down
her foot sharply on the pavement with vexation as she suspected that he
thought her so foolish, and then again her heart warmed with the
perception of self-denying care for her. She trusted to that same
prudence for no delusive hopes having been given to Mark and his wife.

She did so justly. Mr. Dutton had thought the matter far too uncertain
to be set before them. The Canoness's vague hopes had been the fruit
of a hint imprudently dropped by Nuttie herself in a letter to Blanche.
She had said more to Miss Nugent, but Mary was a nonconductor. Mr.
Dutton's heart sank as he looked at the houses, and he had some
thoughts of going to her first for intelligence, but Annaple had spied
him, and ran out to the gate to welcome him.

'Oh, Mr. Dutton, I'm so glad! Mark will be delighted.'

'Is he at home?'

'Oh no, at the office, wading through seas of papers with Mr.
Greenleaf, but he will come home to eat in a quarter of an hour. So
come in;' then, as her boy's merry voice and a gruffer one were heard,
'That's the bailiff. He is Willie's devoted slave.'

'I hoped to have been in time to have saved you that.'

'Well, I'm convinced that among the much maligned races are bailiffs. I
wonder what I could get by an article on prejudice against classes! I
was thinking how much beer I should have to lay in for this one, and
behold he is a teetotaller, and besides that amateur nurse-maid,
parlour-maid, kitchen-maid, etc. etc.--'

'What bailiff could withstand Mrs. Egremont? Perhaps you have tamed
him?'

'Not I. The cook did that. Indeed I believe there's a nice little
idyll going on in the kitchen, and besides he wore the blue ribbon, and
was already a devoted follower of young Mr. Godfrey!'

'However, if the valuation is ready, I hope you may be relieved from
him, if you won't be too much concerned at the parting!'

'Mr