of you lords of creation! Did I not tell you, not to believe that
absurd story about Mr Mawley long ago--that it was only a silly tale of
Shuffler's, and not worth a moment's credence? But, you wouldn't
believe me; and, here you have been knocking your head against a wall
just on account of that cock-and-a-bull-story, and nothing else! Ah,
you lovers will never learn common sense! If it wasn't for us old
ladies, you would get into such fine scrapes that you would never get
out of them, I can tell you!"

"And you are sure it is not true, Miss Pimpernell?" I asked,
imploringly.

"Certainly, Frank. Where are your eyes? You are as blind as a mole, my
boy."

"O, Miss Pimpernell!" I exclaimed, in remorse at my hasty conduct,
"what shall I do to make my peace once more with her? She will never
speak to me again, I know, unless you intercede for me, and tell her how
the misunderstanding arose."

"You have been very foolish, Frank," said my kind old friend; "but I
will try what I can do for you. You ought to have known that she did
not care for Mr Mawley--not in the way you mean; and, as for marrying
him, why, the curate himself does not dream of such a thing. I cannot
imagine how you could have been so blind!"

"But you _will_ help me, Miss Pimpernell, won't you?" I entreated.

"Well, my boy, I will tell Minnie what you have just told me about your
delusion, and say that you are very sorry for having treated her so
badly."

"And tell her," I interposed, "that she's dearer to me than ever."

"I will do nothing of the sort," hastily replied the old lady. "I am
not going to give Miss Spight another chance of calling me `a wretched
old match-maker,' as she did once! No, Master Frank, you must do all
your love-making yourself, my boy. I did not tell you that Minnie cares
for you, you know; and, I can't say whether she does, or no. She's only
very unhappy at your considering her no longer in the light of a friend,
and has said nothing to lead me to imagine anything more than that. She
would not have spoken to me at all about it, I'm confident, if she had
not happened to have seen you only a moment before, and had her
sensitive little heart wounded by your coldness! Why don't you tell her
yourself, Frank, what you wish me to say for you?"

"So I would, Miss Pimpernell, at once," I replied, "if I only had an
opportunity; but I never get a chance of seeing her alone."

"Why don't you make one, Frank?" said