m say, "and I hope we shall be the best of
neighbours;" and his face was flushed, and he looked very handsome;
while, when they shook hands on the door-mat, I could see the
bright-eyed thing smiling in his face and looking pleased; and that
shaking of the hands took a deal longer than it ought, while she gave
him a look that made me think if I'd had a daughter like that, she'd
have had bread-and-water for a week.

Then the door was shut, and Mr Barclay stood on the mat, smiling
stupid-like, not knowing as I was noticing him; and then he turned
sharply round and saw Miss Virginia on the stairs, and his face changed.

"James Burdon," I said to myself, "these are girls and boys no longer,
but grown-up folk, and there's the beginning of trouble here."

STORY TWO, CHAPTER FOUR.

A LITTLE SKIRMISH.

I didn't believe in the people opposite, in spite of their references
being said to be good. You may say that's because of what followed; but
it isn't for I didn't like the looks of the stiff elderly Miss
Mimprisses; and I didn't like the two forward servants, though they
seemed to keep themselves to themselves wonderfully, and no man ever
allowed in the house. Worst of all, I didn't like that handsome young
Miss Adela, sitting at work over coloured worsted at the dining-room or
drawing-room window, for young Mr Barclay was always looking across at
her; and though he grew red-faced, my poor Miss Virginia grew every day
more pale.

They seemed very strange people over the way, and it was only sometimes
on a Sunday that any one at our place caught a glimpse of them, and then
one perhaps would come to a window for a few minutes and sit and talk to
Miss Adela--one of the elder sisters, I mean; and when I caught sight of
them, I used to think that it was no wonder they had taken to dressing
so primly and so plain, for they must have given up all hope of getting
husbands long before.

Mr Barclay suggested to Sir John twice in my hearing that he should
invite his new tenants over to dinner; and--once, in a hesitating way,
hinted something about Miss Virginia calling. But Sir John only
grunted; while I saw my dear young lady dart such an indignant look at
Mr Barclay as made him silent for the rest of the evening, and seem
ashamed of what he had said.

I talked about it a good deal to Tom as I sat before my pantry fire of
an evening; and he used to leap up in my lap and sit and look up at me
with his big eyes, which were a