d pray, Miss Kicksey, what did you tell him?"

"Oh, I told him that you and Leonora had nine thousand a year, and--"

"What then?"

"Why, nothing; that is all I know. I am sure I wish I had ninety," says
poor Kicksey, her eyes turning to heaven.

"Ninety fiddlesticks! Did not Mr. Deuceace ask how the money was left,
and to which of us?"

"Yes; but I could not tell him."

"I knew it!" says my lady, slapping down her tea-cup,--"I knew it!"

"Well!" says Miss Matilda, "and why not, Lady Griffin? There is no
reason you should break your tea-cup, because Algernon asks a harmless
question. HE is not mercenary; he is all candor, innocence, generosity!
He is himself blessed with a sufficient portion of the world's goods to
be content; and often and often has he told me he hoped the woman of his
choice might come to him without a penny, that he might show the purity
of his affection."

"I've no doubt," says my lady. "Perhaps the lady of his choice is Miss
Matilda Griffin!" and she flung out of the room, slamming the door, and
leaving Miss Matilda to bust into tears, as was her reglar custom, and
pour her loves and woas into the buzzom of Miss Kicksey.

CHAPTER IV.

"HITTING THE NALE ON THE HEDD."

The nex morning, down came me and master to Lady Griffinses,--I amusing
myself with the gals in the antyroom, he paying his devours to the
ladies in the salong. Miss was thrumming on her gitter; my lady was
before a great box of papers, busy with accounts, bankers' books,
lawyers' letters, and what not. Law bless us! it's a kind of bisniss I
should like well enuff; especially when my hannual account was seven or
eight thousand on the right side, like my lady's. My lady in this house
kep all these matters to herself. Miss was a vast deal too sentrimentle
to mind business.

Miss Matilda's eyes sparkled as master came in; she pinted gracefully to
a place on the sofy beside her, which Deuceace took. My lady only looked
up for a moment, smiled very kindly, and down went her head among the
papers agen, as busy as a B.

"Lady Griffin has had letters from London," says Miss, "from nasty
lawyers and people. Come here and sit by me, you naughty man you!"

And down sat master. "Willingly," says he, "my dear Miss Griffin; why, I
declare, it is quits a tete-a-tete."

"Well," says Miss (after the prillimnary flumries, in coarse), "we met a
friend of yours at the embassy, Mr. Deuceace."

"My father, doubtless; he is a great