nded by the children of the place,
who looked on silent with ecstasy, while a burly showman piped his pipes
and beat his drum. A couple of ostlers, with their shirt-sleeves rolled
up to their shoulders, and one of them with a pail in his hand, stood
arrested in their work. And in the front of the spectators was Alick
Hudson, a sleepy-looking youth of twenty, who started and took his hands
out of his pockets at sight of Elinor. Mr. Hudson himself came walking
briskly round the corner, swinging his cane with the air of a man who
was afraid of being too late.

"Didn't I tell you?" said Compton, pressing Elinor's arm.

As the tootle-te-too went on, other spectators appeared--the two Miss
Hills, one putting on her hat, the other hastily buttoning her jacket as
they hurried up. "Oh, you here, Elinor! What fun! We all run as if we
were six years old. I'm going to engage the man to come round and do it
opposite Rosebank to amuse mother. She likes it as much as any of us,
though she doesn't see very well, poor dear, nor hear either. But we
must always consider that the old have not many amusements," said the
elder Miss Hill.

"Though mother amuses herself wonderfully with her knitting," said Miss
Sarah. "There's a sofa-cover on the stocks for you, Elinor."

It appeared to be only at this moment that the sisters became aware of
the presence of "the gentleman" by whom Elinor stood. They had been too
busy with their uncompleted toilettes to observe him at first. But now
that Miss Hill's hat was settled to her satisfaction, and the blue veil
tied over her face as she liked it to be, and Miss Sarah had at last
succeeded, after two false starts, in buttoning her jacket straight,
their attention was released for other details. They both gave a glance
over Elinor at the tall figure on the other side, and then looked at
each other with a mutual little "Oh!" and nod of recognition. Then Miss
Hill took the initiative as became her dignity. "I hope you are going to
introduce us to your companion, Elinor," she said. "Oh, Mr. Compton, how
do you do? We are delighted to make your acquaintance, I am sure. It is
charming to have an opportunity of seeing a person of so much importance
to us all, our dear Elinor's intended. I hope you know what a prize you
are getting. You might have sought the whole country over and you
wouldn't have found a girl like her. I don't know how we shall endure
your name when you carry her away."

"Except, indeed,