s leaving for
town, she asked me why I kept on smiling so mysteriously. I replied,
"Perhaps you, too, will smile before the day is over."

On my return I found Eliza at the front door. "Come and look," she
said, cheerfully. "I have got a pleasant surprise for you." She flung
open the drawing-room door, and pointed. In the middle of the table
stood a _spiraea_, a most handsome and graceful plant. It stood in one
of the best saucers, with some coloured paper round the pot, and the
general effect was very good. I at once guessed that she had bought it
for me with the change from my present to her, and thought it showed
very good feeling in her.

"I hope you have not given too much for this," I said.

"I didn't give any money for it."

"I don't understand."

"Well, you must know I had a present this morning."

"Of course I know."

"Did mother tell you? Yes, she has sent me a beautiful new jacket. Then
a man came round with a barrow of plants, and he said he didn't want
money if I had any clothes to spare. So I gave him my old worn-out
jacket for this _spiraea_, and----"

I remembered that I had seen the man with the barrow farther down the
street.

"Excuse me for one moment, Eliza," I said, and dashed out after him.

* * * * *

He was a big, red-faced man, and he made no difficulty about it at all.

"Yes," he said, "I bought that jacket, gov'ner, and I don't deny it.
There it is at the bottom of my bundle, and I ain't even looked at it
since. Nor I ain't goin' to look now. You say there was two suvreigns
in the pocket. A gent like you don't want to swindle a common man like
me. If you say the two suvreigns was there, then they're there now, and
I can return yer two pound out o' my own, in a suttunty of gettin' 'em
back out o' the jacket pocket. Bless yer! I knows an honest man when I
sees one."

With these words he drew the money from his own waistcoat pocket, and
handed it to me. I took it with some reluctance.

"Hadn't you better make quite certain----"

"Not a bit," says he. "If them suvreigns were there when the jacket
were 'anded to me, they is there now. I could see as you was a man to
be trusted, otherwise I'd 'ave undone the bundle and searched long
afore this."

* * * * *

"What have you been doing?" said Eliza, on my return.

"Never mind. Your mother has given you a new jacket. Let me have the
pleasure of givi