said in a voice of anger.

"It comes of advertising, George. It comes of little silver books,
and big wooden stockings, and men in armour, and cats-carrion shirts;
that's what it's come from, George."

"Never," said Robinson, rising from his chair with energetic action.
"Never. You may as well tell me that the needle does not point to the
pole, that the planets have not their appointed courses, that the
swelling river does not run to the sea. There are facts as to which
the world has ceased to dispute, and this is one of them. Advertise,
advertise, advertise! It may be that we have fallen short in our
duty; but the performance of a duty can never do an injury." In reply
to this, old Brown merely shook his head. "Do you know what Barlywig
has spent on his physic; Barlywig's Medean Potion? Forty thousand
a-year for the last ten years, and now Barlywig is worth;--I don't
know what Barlywig is worth; but I know he is in Parliament."

"We haven't stuff to go on like that, George." In answer to this,
Robinson knew not what to urge, but he did know that his system was
right.

At this moment the door was opened, and Maryanne Brown entered the
room. "Father," she said, as soon as her foot was over the threshold
of the door; but then seeing that Mr. Brown was not alone, she
stopped herself. There was an angry spot on her cheeks, and it was
manifest from the tone of her voice that she was about to address her
father in anger. "Oh, George; so you are there, are you? I suppose
you came, because you knew I was out."

"I came, Maryanne," said he, putting out his hand to her, "I came--to
settle our wedding day."

"My children, my children!" said Mr. Brown.

"That's all very fine," said Maryanne; "but I've heard so much about
wedding days, that I'm sick of it, and don't mean to have none."

"What; you will never be a bride?"

"No; I won't. What's the use?"

"You shall be my bride;--to-morrow if you will."

"I'll tell you what it is, George Robinson; my belief of you is, that
you are that soft, a man might steal away your toes without your feet
missing 'em."

"You have stolen away my heart, and my body is all the lighter."

"It's light enough; there's no doubt of that, and so is your head.
Your heels too were, once, but you've given up that."

"Yes, Maryanne. When a man commences the stern realities of life,
that must be abandoned. But now I am anxious to commence a reality
which is not stern,--that reality which is for