tly. They made various excursions through
the island--to the Tynwald Hill, to Peel Castle, to Castle Rushen, the
Chasms, and the Calf. Of course they persuaded each other that these
trips were taken solely in the interests of their friends. It was
necessary to meet; it was desirable to do so where they would be
unobserved; what else was left to them but to steal away together on
these little jaunts and journeys?

Then their talk was of love and estrangement and reconciliation, and how
easy to quarrel, and how hard to come together again. Capt'n Davy and
Mrs. Quiggin provided all their illustrations to these interesting
themes, for naturally they never spoke of themselves.

"It's astonishing what geese some people can be," said Jenny.

"Astonishing," echoed Lovibond.

"Just for sake of a poor little word of confession to hold off like
this," said Jenny.

"Just a poor little word," said Lovibond.

"He has only to say 'My dear, I behaved like a brute,' but----"

"Only that," said Lovibond. "And she has merely to say, 'My love, I
behaved like a cat,' but----"

"That's all," said Jenny. "But he doesn't--men never do."

"Never," said Lovibond. "And she won't--women never will."

Then there would be innocent glances on both sides, and sly hints cast
out as grappling hooks for jealousy.

"Ah, well, he's the dearest, simplest, manliest fellow in the world, and
there are women who would give their two ears for him," said Jenny.

"And she's the sweetest, tenderest, loveliest woman alive, and there are
men who would give their two eyes for her," said Lovibond.

"Pity they don't," said Jenny, "for all the use they make of them."

Amid such bouts of thrust and counter-thrust, the affair of Capt'n Davy
and Mrs. Quiggin nevertheless made due progress.

"She's half in love with my Manx sailor on the Head," said Jenny.

"And he's more than half in love with my lady in the church," said
Lovibond.

"And now that we've made each of them fond of each other in disguise, we
have just to make both of them ashamed of themselves in reality," said
Jenny.

"Just that," said Lovibond.

"Ah me," said Jenny. "It isn't every pair of geese that have friends
like us to prevent them from going astray."

"It isn't," said Lovibond. "We're the good old ganders that keep the
geese together."

"Speak for yourself, sir," said Jenny.

Then came Jenny's opportunity. She had been out on one of her jaunts
with Lovibond, leaving Mrs. Quig