kewise. Hereupon she turns, very high and
haughty, to eye Jack slowly from head to foot, and to shake her head at
him in dignified rebuke.

"As for you, sir," says she, "you stole away my letter,--was that
gentle, was it loving, was it kind? Uncle Bentley--say 'No'!"

"Why--er--no," stammered Bentley, "but you see, Pen--"

"Then, Sir John," she continued, with her calm, reproving gaze still
fixed upon her father's face the while he fidgetted in his chair, "then
yesterday, Sir John, when I found you'd taken it, and came to demand it
back again, you heard me coming and slipped out--through the window, and
hid yourself--in the stables, and rode away without even stopping to put
on your riding-boots, and--in that terrible old hat! Was that behaving
like a dignified, middle-aged gentleman and Justice of the Peace, sir?
Uncle Richard, say 'Certainly not!'"

"Well, I--I suppose 'twas not," says I, "but under the circumstances--"

"And now I find you all with your heads very close together, hatching
diabolical plots and conspiracies against poor little me--heigho!"

"Nay, Penelope," says Jack, beginning to bluster, "we--I say we are
determined--"

"Oh, Sir John," she sighed, "oh, Sir John Chester, 'tis a shameful thing
and most ungallant in a father to run off with his daughter's
love-letter. Prithee, where is her love-letter? Give her her
love-letter--this moment!"

Hereupon Jack must needs produce the letter from his pocket (where he
had hidden it) and she (naughty baggage) very ostentatiously set it
'neath the tucker at her bosom. Which done, she nods at each one of us
in turn, frowning a little the while.

"I vow," says she, tapping the floor with the toe of her satin shoe, "I
could find it in my heart to be very angry with you--all of you, if I
didn't--love you quite so well. So, needs must I forgive you. Sir John
dear, stoop down and let me straighten your wig--there! Now you may kiss
me, sir--an' you wish."

Hereupon Jack kissed her, of course, and thereafter catching sight of
us, frowned terrifically.

"Now, look'ee here, Pen--Penelope," says he, "I say, look'ee here!"

"Yes, Sir John dear."

"I--that is to say--we," began Jack, "for Dick and Bentley are one with
me, I say that--that--er, I say that--what the devil do I mean to say,
Dick?"

"Why, Pen," I explained, "'tis this stranger--this--er--"

"Tawnish!" says Bentley.

"Aye, Tawnish!" nodded Jack. "Now heark'ee, Pen, I repeat--I say, I
repeat--