a moment endeavored to look Verty out of countenance,
but finding that the young man seemed to have no consciousness of the
fact, and that he returned her gaze with friendly interest, the ogress
uttered a sound between a snort and a cough, and said:--

"Then you did'nt come to sell the turkey?"

"No, indeed, ma'am."

"For what, then?"

"I came to see Redbud," replied Verty; "you know, ma'am, that we know
each other very well; I thought I'd come." And Verty smiled.

Mrs. Scowley was completely puzzled--she had never before seen a
gentleman of Verty's candor, and could find no words to reply. She
thought of saying to our friend that visiting a young lady at school
was highly criminal and reprehensible, but a glance at the fat turkey
lying on the grass at her feet, caused her to suppress this speech.

As she gazed, her feeling relented more and more--Verty grew still
more amiable in her eyes--the turkey evidently weighed more than
twenty pounds.

"I'm much obliged to you, young man," she said, "and I'll take the
turkey from you as a friend. Come in and have some apples--there's a
bell-mouth tree."

"Oh yes!" said Verty, "I'm very fond of apples--but Redbud may have
some, too?" he added, smiling innocently.

"Hum!" said the ogress.

"Just a few, you know, ma'am," said Verty, with his bright smile. "I
know from the way she looks that she wants some. Don't you, Redbud?"

Poor Redbud's resolutions all melted--Verty's voice did it all--she
blushed and nodded, and said yes, she should like very much to have
some apples.

"Then you may go," said the ogress, somewhat mollified, "but don't
touch the small trees--I'm keeping them."

"Not for worlds!" said Verty.

"No, ma'am," said Redbud.

And they crossed the lawn, and opening the gate of the spacious and
well-kept garden, passed in under the apple boughs. As for Mr. Jinks,
he accompanied Mrs. Scowley to the house, bowing, grimacing, ambling,
and making himself generally agreeable. True, he resembled a
grasshopper, standing erect, and going through the steps of a minuet;
but there was much elegance in Mr. Jinks' evolutions, and unbounded
elasticity of limb. He entered with Mrs. Scowley; and there, for the
present, we shall leave him.

CHAPTER XII.

HOW STREPHON TALKED WITH CHLOE IN AN ARBOR.

It was a beautiful garden which Verty and Redbud entered, hand in
hand;--one of those old pleasure-grounds which, with their grass and
flowers, and long-armed