"What! go to the gin-shop?"

"It's a most respectable publican's,--just round the corner."

"Indeed, I shall do nothing of the kind. You've no feeling about your
daughters at all!" But Sophie went on her errand, and in order to
protect her father's small modicum of "sperrits" she slipped on her
cloak and walked out so as to be able to watch the girl. Still, I think
that the maiden managed to get a sip as she left the bar. The father, in
the mean-time with his head between his hands, was ruminating on the
"cocked-up way which girls have who can't do a turn for their father."

But with the gin-and-potash, and with Sophie, Mr. Juniper made his
appearance. He was a well-featured, tall man, but he looked the stable
and he smelled of it. His clothes, no doubt, were decent, but they were
made by some tailor who must surely work for horsey men and no others.
There is a class of men who always choose to show by their outward
appearance that they belong to horses, and they succeed. Mr. Juniper was
one of them. Though good-looking he was anything but young, verging by
appearance on fifty years.

"So he has been at it again, Miss Sophie," said Juniper. Sophie, who did
not like being detected in the performance of her filial duties, led the
way in silence into the house, and disappeared up-stairs with the
gin-and-potash. Mr. Juniper turned into the parlor, where was Mrs.
Carroll with the other girls. She was still angry, as angry as she could
be, with her husband, who on being informed that morning of what his
wife had done had called her brother "a beastly, stingy old beau,"
because he had cut Amelia off with four hundred and fifty instead of
five hundred pounds. Mr. Carroll probably knew that Mr. Juniper would
not take his daughter without the entirety of the sum stipulated, and
would allow no portion of it to be expended on wedding-dresses.

"Oh, Dick, is this you?" said Amelia. "I suppose you've come for your
news." (Mr. Juniper's Christian-name was Richard.) On this occasion he
showed no affectionate desire to embrace his betrothed.

"Yes, it's me," he said, and then gave his hand all round, first to Mrs.
Carroll and then to the girls.

"I've seen Mr. Grey," said Mrs. Carroll. But Dick Juniper held his
tongue and sat down and twiddled his hat.

"Where have you come from?" asked Georgina.

"From the Brompton Road. I come down on a 'bus."

"You've come from Tattersall's, young man!" said Amelia.

"Then I just didn