dgeting into my room in
his next day's clothes to announce in a shame-faced fashion that, by the
way, he believed he'd look in with me that night at rehearsal if
agreeable.

"It was not agreeable: it was decidedly otherwise, for it upset a
deep-laid scheme of mine. As Fate would have it, by means of sundry extra
rehearsals for Easter I had made great progress in my acquaintance with
Miss Sparrow during the last few days, and but for Timothy I should have
called upon her that evening with the gift of a new ballad, and so, maybe,
have had the pleasure of escorting her to St. Luke's, to the routing of
the brotherkins.

"Well, I could only toss the roll of music under the sofa as gently as
masculine depravity would permit, and conduct my music-greedy friend to
the choir-meeting, ostensibly to listen to the chants, though I knew, and
he knew, that he had always heretofore objected to hearing them practised.

"Of course I presented him in due form to Miss Sparrow when she arrived.
He bowed like a worshipping devotee, and as she moved to her place by the
contralto sat down with an exalted expression upon his hat, to the audible
amusement of the youthful Sparrows perched on the gallery steps. I glanced
at him again during the first soprano solo, and saw him in the same
position, his eyes fixed on the singer. Rehearsal over, he coolly walked
up to her to proffer his escort. I verily believe she was too startled to
decline it. She accepted his arm with a look of blank amazement, and the
two set off together through the April slosh, followed by the inevitable
juvenile guard. Judging from the bespattered condition of Timothy's
overcoat that night, the younglings danced about him like frisky satyrs
all the way; but he wore the face of one who has walked with angels far
above this mud-ball.

"This indifference to his broadcloth struck me at the time as peculiar,
for he has such a constitutional horror of dirt that he really keeps up
his muscle by the use of the clothes-brush; still, though I afterward saw
him spread his Sunday beans with mustard and his Monday bacon with oil, it
was not till late on the latter evening that I came to a just appreciation
of his abnormal state. Without knocking he bolted into my room in great
agitation.

"'For the love of mercy, Hal, tell me what to do!' he cried, upsetting the
piano-stool without perceiving it. 'You're younger than I, and understand
the nature of women better.'

"I did, did I? W