matter of course, that the lost Edie's
name was the same as her grandmother's, burst upon me in its full force.
The delusion had been naturally perpetuated by Mrs Willis never
speaking of her lost darling except by her Christian name. For a few
seconds I was silent, then I exploded in almost an hysterical fit of
laughter, in the midst of which I was interrupted by the sudden entrance
of my doggie, who had returned from a walk with Robin, and began to
gambol round his mistress as if he had not seen her for years.

"Oh, sir! I say! I've diskivered all about--"

Little Slidder had rushed excitedly into the room, but stopped abruptly
on observing Miss Blythe, who was looking from him to me with intense
surprise.

Before another word could be said, a servant entered:--

"Please, Miss Blythe, Doctor McTougall wishes to see you in his study."

She left us at once.

"Now, Robin," said I, with emphasis, "sit down on that chair, opposite
me, and let's hear all about it."

The excited boy obeyed, and Dumps, leaping on another chair beside him,
sat down to listen, with ears erect, as if he knew what was coming.

"Oh, sir! you never--such a go!" began Robin, rubbing his hands together
slowly as he spoke. "The Slogger! he twigged 'er at once. You'll open
your eyes so wide that you'll never git 'em shut again, w'en you hears.
No, I never _did_ see such a lark! Edie's found! I've seen her! She
ain't the Queen--oh no; nor yet one o' the Queen's darters--by no means;
nor yet a duchess--oh dear no, though she's like one. Who d'ye think
she is? But you'll never guess."

"I'll try," said I, with a quiet smile, for I had subdued myself by that
time.

"Try away then--who?"

"Miss Edith Blythe!"

On hearing this, little Slidder's eyes began to open and glisten till
they outshone his own buttons.

"Why--how--ever--did you come to guess it?" gasped the boy, on
recovering himself.

"I did not guess it, I found it out. Do you suppose that nobody can
find out things except Sloggers and pages in buttons?"

"Oh, sir, _do_ tell!" entreated the boy.

I did tell, and after we had each told all that we knew, we mentally
hugged ourselves, and grew so facetious over it that we began to address
Dumps personally, to that intelligent creature's intense satisfaction.

"Now, Robin," said I, "we must break this _very_ cautiously to the old
lady and Miss Blythe."

"Oh, in course--we-r-y cautiously," assented the urchin, with
in