or that she had detected
Caddy and Kinch in a furniture establishment, pricing a chest of drawers
and a wash-stand; and that Kinch had unblushingly told her they had for
some time been engaged to be married, but somehow or other had forgotten to
mention it to her.

This caused a general shout of laughter around the table, in which baby
tumultuously joined, and rattled her spoon against the tea-urn until she
almost deafened them.

This noise frightened Mr. Ellis, who cried, "There they come! there they
come!" and cowered down in his great chair, and looked so exceedingly
terrified, that the noise was hushed instantly, and tears sprang into the
eyes of dear old Ess, who rose and stood by him, and laid his withered face
upon her soft warm bosom, smoothed down the thin grey hair, and held him
close to her throbbing tender heart, until the wild light vanished from his
bleared and sunken eyes, and the vacant childish smile came back on his
thin, wan face again, when she said, "Pray don't laugh so very loud, it
alarms father; he is composed now, pray don't startle him so again."

This sobered them down a little, and they quietly recommenced discussing
the matrimonial arrangements; but they were all in such capital spirits
that an occasional hearty and good-humoured laugh could not be suppressed.

Mr. Walters acted in his usual handsome manner, and facetiously collaring
Charlie, took him into a corner and informed him that he had an empty house
that be wished him to occupy, and that if he ever whispered the word rent,
or offered him any money before he was worth twenty thousand dollars, he
should believe that he wanted to pick a quarrel with him, and should refer
him to a friend, and then pistols and coffee would be the inevitable
result.

Then it came out that Caddy and Kinch had been, courting for some time, if
not with Mrs. Ellis's verbal consent, with at least no objection from that
good lady; for Master Kinch, besides being an exceedingly good-natured
fellow, was very snug in his boots, and had a good many thousand dollars at
his disposal, bequeathed him by his father.

The fates had conspired to make that old gentleman rich. He owned a number
of lots on the outskirts of the city, on which he had been paying taxes a
number of years, and he awoke one fine morning to find them worth a large
sum of money. The city council having determined to cut a street just
beside them, and the property all around being in the hands o