s too fond of children
to become weary of their petty exactions, and they both had a sort of
passion for him; he built castles for them on the beach, presided over
their rides, took them out boating, and made them fabulously happy.
Lucilla had not been so good for weeks, and the least symptom of an
outbreak was at once put down by his good-natured 'No, no!' The evenings
at the cottage with Honora and Miss Wells, music and bright talk, were
evidently very refreshing to him, and he put off his departure from day
to day, till an inexorable matter of county business forced him off.

Not till the day was imminent, did the cousins quit the easy surface of
holiday leisure talk. They had been together to the late evening
service, and were walking home, when Honora began abruptly, 'Humfrey, I
wish you would not object to the children giving me pet names.'

'I did not know that I had shown any objection.'

'As if you did not impressively say Miss Charlecote on every occasion
when you mention me to them.'

'Well, and is not it more respectful?'

'That's not what I want. Where the natural tie is wanting, one should do
everything to make up for it.'

'And you hope to do so by letting yourself be called Honey-pots!'

'More likely than by sitting up distant and awful to be _Miss
Charlecoted_!'

'Whatever you might be called must become an endearment,' said Humfrey,
uttering unawares one of the highest compliments she had ever received,
'and I own I do not like to hear those little chits make so free with
your name.'

'For my sake, or theirs?'

'For both. There is an old saying about familiarity, and I think you
should recollect that, for the children's own good, it is quite as
needful to strengthen respect as affection.'

'And you think I can do that by fortifying myself with Miss Charlecote?
Perhaps I had better make it Mrs. Honora Charlecote at once, and get a
high cap, a rod, and a pair of spectacles, eh? No! if they won't respect
me out of a buckram suit, depend upon it they would find out it was a
hollow one.'

Humfrey smiled. From her youth up, Honor could generally come off in
apparent triumph from an argument with him, but the victory was not
always where the triumph was.

'Well, Humfrey,' she said, after some pause, 'do you think I am fit to be
trusted with my two poor children?'

There was a huskiness in his tone as he said, 'I am sincerely glad you
have the pleasure and comfort of them.'

'I suspec