n?' said the gallant, careless,
sparkling Lothario.

'Well, or round either, so long as they're honest.'

'Ruby and I are both honest;--ain't we, Ruby? I want to take her out
to dinner, Mrs Pipkin. She shall be back before late;--before ten; she
shall indeed.' Ruby inclined herself still more closely towards his
shoulder. 'Come, Ruby, get your hat and change your dress, and we'll
be off. I've ever so many things to tell you.'

Ever so many things to tell her! They must be to fix a day for the
marriage, and to let her know where they were to live, and to settle
what dress she should wear,--and perhaps to give her the money to go
and buy it! Ever so many things to tell her! She looked up into Mrs
Pipkin's face with imploring eyes. Surely on such an occasion as this
an aunt would not expect that her niece should be a prisoner and a
slave. 'Have it been put in writing, Sir Felix Carbury?' demanded Mrs
Pipkin with cruel gravity. Mrs Hurtle had given it as her decided
opinion that Sir Felix would not really mean to marry Ruby Ruggles
unless he showed himself willing to do so with all the formality of a
written contract.

'Writing be bothered,' said Sir Felix.

'That's all very well, Sir Felix. Writing do bother, very often. But
when a gentleman has intentions, a bit of writing shows it plainer nor
words. Ruby don't go nowhere to dine unless you puts it into writing.'

'Aunt Pipkin!' exclaimed the wretched Ruby.

'What do you think I'm going to do with her?' asked Sir Felix.

'If you want to make her your wife, put it in writing. And if it be as
you don't, just say so, and walk away,--free.'

'I shall go,' said Ruby. 'I'm not going to be kept here a prisoner for
any one. I can go when I please. You wait, Felix, and I'll be down in
a minute.' The girl, with a nimble spring, ran upstairs, and began to
change her dress without giving herself a moment for thought.

'She don't come back no more here, Sir Felix,' said Mrs Pipkin, in her
most solemn tones. 'She ain't nothing to me, no more than she was my
poor dear husband's sister's child. There ain't no blood between us,
and won't be no disgrace. But I'd be loth to see her on the streets.'

'Then why won't you let me bring her back again?'

''Cause that'd be the way to send her there. You don't mean to marry
her.' To this Sir Felix said nothing. 'You're not thinking of that.
It's just a bit of sport,--and then there she is, an old shoe to be
chucked away, just a rag t