his intruder, now
looked quite humid of eye, and shook hands warmly.

"I--I didn't know you'd be so glad to see me," said Pratt, flushing with
pleasure.

"I didn't say I was," said Fin, archly.

"You looked so," it was on Pratt's lips to say; but he checked it, and
they strolled on--away from Aunt Matty, after Fin had mischievously
proposed that Pratt should go and see her--till Tiny complained of
fatigue and sat down.

Here was an opportunity not to be lost; and, after a little
solicitation, Fin consented to leave her sister and walk on,
conditionally that they kept in sight.

Pratt, on the strength of his prosperity, had determined to sound his
little companion; but before they had gone a dozen yards, he found that
his own affairs were to be of no account.

"What's become of that wretch of a friend of yours?" said Fin, sharply.

"Do you mean Sir Felix Landells?" said Pratt, borrowing a shaft from her
own quiver.

"No, I don't," said Fin, flushing scarlet, "nor any such silly donkey, I
mean--"

Pratt would have gone down on his knees in the gravel, only there was a
nursemaid close by, and a big, fat child was sucking its thumb, and
staring at them; but he burst out, in a husky voice--

"Oh, Miss Rea--Finetta--pray, pray say that again."

"Indeed, I shall do no such thing," said Fin, sharply, and becoming more
red--"why should I?"

"Because it makes me so happy," said Pratt. "I thought it was to be
he."

"Then you ought to be ashamed of yourself," said Fin. "A nice feeling
of respect you must have for me, to couple me with that scented dandy."

"Finetta, don't be hard upon me," gasped Pratt--"I can't talk now. If I
had you in a witness-box I could go ahead, but I feel now as if I were
going to lose my case."

"What stuff are you talking?" said Fin, whose breast was panting.

"I was trying to tell you that I loved you with my whole heart," said
Pratt, earnestly; "even as I learned to love you down in Cornwall, when
I was such a poor, miserable beggar that I wouldn't have told you for
the world."

"And now you're in Jumbles _versus_ Hankey, and the great cotton case."

"Why, how did you know?" cried Pratt.

"I always read the law reports in the _Times_" said Fin, demurely.

Pratt choked; he felt blind; then the railings seemed to be dancing with
the trees, and the little children to be transformed into cherubs,
attended by angels, with triumphant perambulating cars. He felt as if
he wanted t