rst is his marriage being put off, and it so near. I do think,
brother, you might take him back and--"

"Pray hold your tongue, Peppy," said Mr Stuart, who was attempting to
read the _Times_, "I'm not listening to you, and if you are pleading for
my son Kenneth, let me say to you, once for all, that I have done with
him for ever. I would not give him a sixpence if he were starving."

"Well, but," persevered the earnest Miss Peppy, "if he were to repent,
you know, and come and ask pardon, (dear me, where are those scissors?
ah, here they are), surely you would not refuse, (the thimble next--what
a world of worries!) to--to give him--"

"Peppy, I have stated my sentiments, pray do not trouble me further in
regard to this matter. _Nothing_ can move me."

Miss Peppy sighed, and retired to pour her regrets into the sympathetic
ear of Mrs Niven.

Gaff sat in the chimney-corner of the "Boodwar" smoking his pipe and
staring at Shrieky, which, having survived the voyage home, had been
hung up in a cage in the little window, and was at that time engaged in
calling loudly for Squeaky, who, having also survived the voyage, was
grubbing up stones and mud at the front door. Mrs Gaff was seated
opposite to him, with Tottie's head in her lap; for she still solaced
herself by smoothing her hair. Billy was sitting on one of the six
chairs whittling a piece of wood.

"It's a bad business," said Gaff; "bad for everybody consarned; but wust
for Mr Stuart."

"An' his man," said Billy.

"And Susan," said Tottie.

"Gaff," said Mrs Gaff, "it's my advice to you to go up to the bank, ask
them for a thousand pounds, (if they have as much in the shop at the
time, if not, ye can take what they have, and call again for the rest),
give it all to Miss Lizzie Gordon, and tell her to go and get married
right off. We won't miss it, Gaff. In fact it seems to me that the
more we give away the more we have to give. It's an _awful_ big fortin'
we've comed into. But that's what I advise."

"I doubt she wouldn't take it," said Gaff.

"Oh yes, she would," cried his better half.

Billy and Tottie being of the same opinion, Gaff laid aside his pipe,
got out the tea-caddy, from which he took his cheque-book, and made
Tottie write out a cheque for 1000 pounds, payable to Miss Lizzie
Gordon.

"She deserves it well o' me," observed Gaff, as he slowly printed his
signature on the cheque, "for she gave me the Noo Testament, that's bin
o' more v