finally settled it in his own mind that her labours in the telegraph
department of the General Post-Office must be brought to a close as soon
as possible.

"You see, mother," he said that night, after Aspel had left the cottage
and May had gone to her room, "it will never do to let her kill herself
over the telegraph instrument. She's too delicately formed for such
work. We must find something better suited to her."

"Yes, Phil, we must find something better suited to her.--Good-night,"
replied Mrs Maylands.

There was a twinkle in the widow's eye as she said this that sorely
puzzled Phil, and kept him in confused meditation that night, until the
confusion became worse confounded and he fell into an untroubled
slumber.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

THE LAST.

Sitting alone in the breakfast parlour of The Rosebud, one morning in
June, Miss Stivergill read the following paragraph in her
newspaper:--"GALLANT RESCUE.--Yesterday forenoon a lady and her
daughter, accompanied by a gentleman, went to the landing-wharf at
Blackfriars with the intention of going on board a steamer. There were
some disorderly men on the wharf, and a good deal of crowding at the
time. As the steamer approached, one of the half-drunk men staggered
violently against the daughter above referred to, and thrust her into
the river, which was running rapidly at the time, the tide being
three-quarters ebb. The gentleman, who happened to have turned towards
the mother at the moment, heard a scream and plunge. He looked quickly
back and missed the young lady. Being a tall powerful man, he dashed
the crowd aside, hurled the drunk man--no doubt inadvertently--into the
river, sprang over his head, as he was falling, with a magnificent
bound, and reached the water so near to the young lady that a few
powerful strokes enabled him to grasp and support her. Observing that
the unfortunate cause of the whole affair was lulling helplessly past
him with the tide, he made a vigorous stroke or two with his disengaged
arm, and succeeded in grasping him by the nape of the neck, and holding
him at arm's-length, despite his struggles, until a boat rescued them
all. We believe that the gentleman who effected this double rescue is
named Aspel, and that he is a city missionary. We have also been
informed that the young lady is engaged to her gallant deliverer, and
that the wedding has been fixed to come off this week."

Laying down the paper, Miss Stivergill lifted