he never makes anything more for
_me_, that's poz!" replied Miss Tag-rag, earnestly.

"We'll call there to-morrow, love, and hurry her on," said her mother;
and from that moment until eleven o'clock, when the amiable and
interesting trio retired to rest, nothing was talked of but the charming
Titmouse, and the good fortune he so richly deserved, and how long the
courtship was likely to last. Mrs. Tag-rag, who, for the last month or
so, had always remained on her knees before getting into bed, for at
least ten minutes, on this eventful evening compressed her prayers, I
regret to say, into one minute and a half's time, (as for Tag-rag, a
hardened heathen, for all he had taken to hearing Mr. Horror, he always
tumbled prayerless into bed, the moment he was undressed;) while, for
once in a way, Miss Tag-rag, having taken only five minutes to put her
hair into papers, popped into bed directly she had blown the candle out,
without saying _any_ prayers--or even thinking of finishing the novel
which lay under her pillow, and which she had got on the sly from the
circulating library of the late Miss Snooks. For several hours she lay
in a delicious revery, imagining herself become Mrs. Tittlebat Titmouse,
riding about Clapham in a handsome carriage, going to the play every
night; and what would the three Miss Knippses say when they heard of
it?--they'd burst. And such a handsome man, too!

She sank, at length, into unconsciousness, amid a soft confusion of
glistening white satin--favors--bridesmaids--Mrs. Tittlebat
Tit--Tit--Tit--Tit--mouse.

Titmouse, about half-past nine o'clock on the ensuing morning, was
sitting in his little room in a somewhat troubled humor, musing on many
things, and little imagining the intense interest he had excited in the
feelings of the amiable occupants of Satin Lodge, when a knock at his
door startled him out of his revery. Guess his amazement to see, on
opening it, Mr. Tag-rag!

"Your most obedient, sir," commenced that gentleman, in a subdued and
obsequious manner, plucking off his hat the instant that he saw
Titmouse. "I hope you're better, sir!--Been very uneasy, sir, about
you."

"Please to walk in, sir," replied Titmouse, not a little flustered--"I'm
better, sir, thank you."

"Happy to hear it, sir?--But am also come to offer humble apologies for
the rudeness of that upstart that was so rude to you yesterday, at my
premises--know whom I mean, eh?--Lutestring--I shall get rid of him, I
d