elix Landells; my name is Vanleigh--Captain Vanleigh."

"Guards," said Sir Felix, in the midst of a good deal of formal bowing;
and then, all being seated, the waggonette drove off, Sir Hampton, in
the conversation which ensued, being most careful to avoid any reference
to the destination of his new friends, merely requesting to be set down
at the end of the lane leading to Tolcarne, the party separating amidst
a profusion of bows.

"What a pair of dandies!" said Fin.

"A most refined gentleman that Captain Vanleigh," said Sir Hampton.

"What did you think of the other one, dad?" said Fin.

"Aristocrat. Er-rum! aristocrat," said Sir Hampton. "Blue blood there,
for a certainty. I hope they'll call. By the way, Tiny, I thought you
unnecessarily cold and formal."

"Did you, papa?" said Tiny. "Indeed, I did not mean to be so."

Here they reached the hall, and the girls went to their room.

"Dad's hooked," said Fin, throwing herself into a chair. "Tiny, that
dandy would come to grief if I knew him long. I should feel obliged to
singe his horrid little sticky mustachios; and as for the other--oh, how
I could snub him if he looked and talked at me as he did at you."

"I sincerely hope," said Tiny, "that we shall never see them again."

Volume 1, Chapter XIV.

POLLY'S TROUBLES.

"By the way, Pratt," said Trevor, as they were strolling through the
grounds, "what aged man should you take Vanleigh to be?"

"Close upon forty," said Pratt; "but he takes such care of himself, and
dresses so young, that he keeps off the assaults of old Father Time."

"He can't be so old as that," said Trevor, thoughtfully; "and yet he
must begetting on. He was much older than we were, you know, in the old
days."

"Yes," said Pratt; "bless him, I love Van dearly. I suppose they'll be
here soon. H'm!"

"Eh?" said Trevor.

"I said H'm!" replied Pratt.

"Yes, I know," said Trevor, laughing; "but what does H'm mean?"

"Shall I make mischief, or shan't I? Well, I don't know that it would
be making mischief, for it seems quite natural."

"My dear Frank, don't play the Sphinx, please, for I'm one of the most
dense men under the sun. Now, then, speak out."

"Only thinking, and putting that and that together," said Pratt,
relighting his cigar. "Well?"

"Well--handsome young bailiff seen in the copse yonder; pretty girl is
seen going rather hurriedly along path leading to copse; and elderly
lady who holds post of housekeep