proud o' being thy earthly
wife, 'stead o' seeing thee in 'eaven this blessed minute."

This last was addressed to a bewildered stranger whom Mrs. Trefethen
had mistaken for her husband, and who was vainly striving to escape
from her encircling arms.

"Art crazy, mother, to be hustling men in public street thiccy way? I
be 'shamed of 'ee!" cried Mark Trefethen, catching hold of his wife at
this moment. "Come along in house, or if 'ee must have man to hug take
me or Tom here, or Maister Peril, who deserves it best of all for this
day's work."

Nothing loath to do as she was bid, Mrs. Trefethen made a third effort
to express her feelings towards Peveril, in her own peculiar fashion;
but he laughingly evaded her, and she fell instead upon the neck of
another astonished stranger who happened in her way, and upon whose
head she tearfully called down the choicest blessings of Heaven.

"Thee's saved me from widow's grave, lad, which the same, I frequent
saz to Miss Penny, I did 'ope never to live to see; but our 'Eveanly
Feyther knows best, and if hits 'Is will--But there, I'm that
over-set--Nelly, gie Maister Peril a kiss, lass, in token of thy
forgiveness for what 'e's done this day."

So saying, the well-meaning blunderer released her victim, with the
view of allowing Nelly a chance to express her gratitude, and, for the
first time, caught sight of his face.

"Thee's not Dick Peril!" she cried. "W'at's thee mean by scandalizing
honest woman thiccy way? Isn't thee 'shamed on thysel', thou great
lump?"

The poor man tried in vain to explain his innocence of act or
intention, but his voice was drowned in the boisterous laughter of his
mates, amid which the crowd gradually dispersed, while Mrs. Trefethen,
still exclaiming against the duplicity of men in general, was led into
the house by her husband and son.

In the meantime Miss Nelly had demurely shaken hands with Mike
Connell, who was still gasping in astonishment at the warmth of Mrs.
Trefethen's reception. Then she kissed her father and Tom, stole one
look at Peveril's face, and, murmuring something about seeing after
supper, ran into the house.

Although Peveril had not forgotten the promise to his newly made
friend to inform Nelly of his own engagement as soon as possible, he
had no chance to do so that evening; for supper had hardly been eaten
when he began to receive visitors eager to congratulate him upon his
recent act of heroism. Among these was Major Ar