calls himself head gardener, by the name of Swipes'--my pardoning
to you, Mr. Swipes, for the young lady's way of saying it--'and his two
sons, and his nephew, and I dare say soon his grandsons. Well, and what
comes of it?' says she. 'Why, that we never has a bit of any kind
of vegetable, much less of fruit, fit to lay a fork to!' Charles was
a-pricking up his ears at this, because of his own grumbles, and the
master saw it, and he says, 'Hush, Dolly!' But she up and answers
spiritly: 'No, I won't hush, papa, because it is too bad. Only you
leave it to me,' she says, 'and if I don't keep the key from that old
thief--excoose me, Mr. Swipes, for her shocking language--'and find out
what he locks up in there, my name's not Horatia Dorothy Darling.' Oh,
don't let it dwell so on your mind, Mr. Swipes! You know what young
ladies be. They says things random, and then goes away and never
thinks no more about it. Oh, don't be upset so--or I shall have to call
Charles!"

Mr. Swipes took his hat off to ease his poor mind, which had lost its
way altogether in other people's wickedness. "May I never set eyes on
that young man no more!" he exclaimed, with more pathetic force than
reasoning power. "Either him or me quits this establishment to-morrow.
Ah, I know well why he left his last place, and somebody else shall know
to-morrow!"

"What harm have poor Charles done?" the cook asked sharply; "it
wasn't him that said it; it was Miss Dolly. Charley only told me
conferentially."

"Oh, I know what 'conferentially' means, when anything once gets among
the womenkind! But I know a thing or two about Miss Dolly, as will give
her enough to do at home, I'll warrant, without coming spying after me
and my affairs. Don't you be surprised, cook, whatever you may hear, as
soon as ever the Admiral returneth. He's a soft man enough in a number
of ways, but he won't put up with everything. The nasty little vixen, if
she don't smart for this!"

"Oh, don't 'e, now don't 'e, Mr. Swipes, that's a dear!" cried the
soft-hearted Mrs. Knuckledown; "don't 'e tell on her, the poor young
thing. If her hath been carrying on a bit with some of them young
hofficers, why, it's only natteral, and her such a young booty. Don't 'e
be Dick-tell-tale, with a name to it, or without. And perhaps her never
said half the things that Charles hath contributed to her." The truth
was that poor Dolly had said scarcely one of them.

"Bain't no young hofficer," Mr. Swipes r