cried Afy, alluding to a tremendous noise
in the distance, which had continued for some little time.

"It's the voters cheering Mr. Carlyle. I suppose you know that he's
elected, Miss Hallijohn?"

"No, I didn't."

"The other was withdrawn by his friends, so they made short work of
it, and Mr. Carlyle is our member. God bless him! there's not many like
_him_. But, I say, Miss Hallijohn, whatever is it that the other one has
done? Murder, they say. I can't make top nor tail of it. Of course we
know he was bad enough before."

"Don't ask me," said Afy. "Murder's not a pleasant subject for a lady to
discuss. Are all these customers? Dear me, you'll have enough to do to
attend to them; your man can't do it all; so I won't stay talking any
longer."

With a gracious flourish of her flounces and wave of the handkerchief
Afy sailed off. And Mr. Jiffin, when he could withdraw his fascinated
eyes from following her, turned into his shop to assist in serving four
or five servant girls, who had entered it.

"It wouldn't be such a bad catch, after all," soliloquized Afy, as she
and her crinoline swayed along. "Of course I'd never put my nose inside
the shop--unless it was to order things like another customer. The worst
is the name. Jiffin, Joe Jiffin. How could I ever bear to be called Mrs.
Joe Jiffin! Not but--Goodness me! what do you want?"

The interruption to Afy's chickens was caused by Mr. Ebenezer James.
That gentleman, who had been walking with quick steps to overtake her,
gave her flounces a twitch behind, to let her know somebody had come up.

"How are you, Afy? I was going after you to Mrs. Latimer's, not knowing
but you had returned home. I saw you this morning at Miss Corny's
windows."

"Now, I don't want any of your sauce, Ebenezer James. Afy-ing me! The
other day, when you were on with your nonsense, I said you should keep
your distance. You took and told Mr. Jiffin that I was an old sweetheart
of yours. I heard of it."

"So you were," laughed Mr. Ebenezer.

"I never was," flashed Afy. "I was the company of your betters in
those days: and if there had been no betters in the case, I should have
scorned _you_. Why! you have been a strolling player!"

"And what have you been?" returned Mr. Ebenezer, a quiet tone of meaning
running through his good-humored laughter.

Afy's cheeks flushed scarlet, and she raised her hand with a quick,
menacing gesture. But that they were in the public street Mr. Ebenezer