left of my own?"

Tom seemed quite struck with the reasonableness of this observation, and
hesitated. However, he concluded to risk it.

"You don't look one of the sort to wrong a poor fellow," said he; "and
besides, you'll have brass to spare of your own before long, I know."

Kate opened her eyes.

"Oh, indeed!" said she; "and pray, how do you know that?"

Mr. Leicester favored her with a knowing wink. He gave her a moment to
digest this, and then said, almost in a whisper,--

"Hearkened the gentlefolks on Scutchemsee Nob, after you was gone home,
Mistress."

Kate was annoyed.

"What! they must be prating as soon as one's back is turned! Talk of
women's tongues! Now what did they say, I should like to know?"

"It was about the bet, ye know."

"A bet? Oh, that is no affair of mine."

"Ay, but it is. Why, 'twas you they were betting on. Seems that old
soger and Squire Hammersley had laid three guineas to one that you
should let out which was your fancy of them two."

Kate's cheeks were red as fire now; but her delicacy overpowered her
curiosity, and she would not put any more questions. To be sure, young
Hopeful needed none; he was naturally a chatterbox, and he proceeded to
tell her, that, as soon as ever she was gone, Squire Hammersley took a
guinea and offered it to the old soldier, and told him he had won, and
the old soldier pocketed it. But after that, somehow, Squire Hammersley
let drop that Mr. Neville was the favorite.

"Then," continued Mr. Leicester, "what does the old soger do, but pull
out guinea again, and says he,--

"'You must have this back; bet is not won: for you do think 'tis
Neville; now I do think 'tis Gaunt.'

"So then they fell to argufying and talking a lot o' stuff."

"No doubt, the insolent meddlers! Can you remember any of their
nonsense?--not that it is worth remembering, I'll be bound."

"Let me see. Well, Squire Hammersley, he said you owned to dreaming of
Squire Neville,--and that was a sign of love, said he; and, besides, you
sided with him against t'other. But the old soger, he said you called
Squire Gaunt 'Griffith'; and he built on that. Oh, and a said you
changed the horses back to please our Squire. Says he,--

"'You must look to what the lady did; never heed what she said. Why,
their sweet lips was only made to kiss us, and deceive us,' says that
there old soger."

"I'll--I'll----And what did you say, Sir?--for I suppose your tongue
was not idle."

"Oh, me