lpless they are the more I like them."

Fanny smiled again, and observed that that was curious too.

"So it is," said Katie, "very odd that papa should like the old women
and I should like the old men; but so it is. Now, Fan, we'll get ready
and--oh how provoking! That must be another visitor! People find papa
out so soon wherever we go, and then they give him no rest."

"A boy wishes to see you, miss," said Mrs Cackles.

"Me?" exclaimed Katie in surprise.

"Yes, miss, and he says he wants to see you alone on important
business."

Katie looked at Fanny and smiled. Fanny returned the smile, and
immediately left the room.

"Show him in, Mrs Cackles."

The landlady withdrew, and ushered in no less a personage than Billy
Towler himself, who stopped at the door, and stood with his hat in his
hand, and an unusually confused expression in his looks. "Please,
miss," said Billy, "you knows me, I think?"

Katie admitted that she knew him, and, knowing in her heart that she
meant to befriend him, it suddenly occurred to her that it would be well
to begin with a little salutary severity by way of punishment for his
former misdeeds.

"Last time I saw you, miss, I _did_ you," said Billy with a slight grin.

"You did," replied Katie with a slight frown, "and I hope you have come
to apologise for your naughty conduct."

"Well, I can't 'xactly say as I have come to do that, but I dessay I may
as well begin that way. I'm very sorry, miss, for havin' _did_ you, an'
I've called now to see if I can't _do_ you again."

Katie could not restrain a laugh at the impudence of this remark, but
she immediately regretted it, because Billy took encouragement and
laughed too; she therefore frowned with intense severity, and, still
remembering that she meant ultimately to befriend the boy, resolved to
make him in the meantime feel the consequences of his former misdeeds.

"Come, boy," she said sharply, "don't add impertinence to your
wickedness, but let me know at once what you want with me."

Billy was evidently taken aback by this rebuff. He looked surprised,
and did not seem to know how to proceed. At length he put strong
constraint upon himself, and said, in rather a gruff tone--

"Well, miss, I--a--the fact is--you know a gal named Nora Jones, don't
you? Anyhow, she knows you, an' has said to me so often that you was a
parfect angel, that--that--"

"That you came to see," interrupted Katie, glancing at her shoulders,