dear?'

'I'm not aware that any of them are out of order; they rehung the bell
in the area the other day--it's some mistake,' said Mrs. Ashburn.

'Which,' continued Uncle Solomon, 'you 'ave been good enough to submit
to us (pretty good that for a bell-'anger, hey?) We regret, however,
to say that we do not find ourselves in a position to make any
overtures to you in the matter. Well,' he said, though not very
confidently, 'you've been writing to your landlord about the fixtures,
and these are his lawyers writing back--isn't _that_ it now?'

'What should I write to _him_ for?' said Mr. Ashburn; 'that's not it,
Solomon--go on, it gets worse by-and-by!'

'Your one fair daughter also (hullo, Trixie!) we find ourselves
compelled to decline, although with more reluctance; but, in spite of
some considerable merits, there is a slight roughness (why, her
complexion's clear enough!), together with a certain immaturity and
total lack of form and motive (you _are_ giddy, you know, Trixie, I
always told you so), which are in our opinion sufficient to prevent us
from making any proposals to you in the matter.'

Uncle Solomon laid down the letter at this point, and looked around
open-mouthed: 'I thought I could make out most things,' he said; 'but
this is rather beyond me, I must say.'

''Ere are these people--what's their names? Leadbitter and Gandy (who
I take it are in the gas-fitting and decorating line)--writing to say
in the same breath that they can't come and see to your bells, and
they don't want to marry your daughter. Who asked them?--you ain't
come down so low in the world to go and offer Trixie to a gas-fitter,
I should 'ope, Matthew!--and yet what else _does_ it mean--tell me
that, and I'll thank you.'

'Don't ask _me_,' said the unhappy father; 'they're perfect
strangers.'

'Trixie, you know nothing about it, I hope?' said Mrs. Ashburn, rather
suspiciously.

'No, ma dear,' said Trixie; 'but I don't want to marry either Mr.
Leadbitter or Mr. Gandy.'

The situation had become too much for Mark; at first he had hoped that
by holding his tongue he might escape being detected, while the
rejection of both the novels from which he had hoped so much was a
heavy blow which he felt he could scarcely bear in public; but they
seemed so determined to sift the matter to the end that he decided to
enlighten them at once, since it must be only a question of time.

But his voice was choked and his face crimson as he said,