compliment if I see a lady very busy at work when I'm conversing,
with her."

"But you may flatter yourself, Captain Bridgeman," replied my mother;
"the attention to her work may arise from perfect indifference, or from
positive annoyance. It saves the trouble of making an effort to be
polite."

"And pray, may I inquire, Miss Amelia, what feeling may cause your
particular attention to your work at this present moment?"

"Perhaps in either case to preserve my self-possession," replied Amelia;
"or perhaps, Captain Bridgeman, I may prefer looking at a piece of
muslin to looking at a marine officer."

"That's not very flattering," replied the captain; "if you spoil the
muslin, you're determined not to spoil me."

"The muslin is of little value," said Amelia, softly, walking to the
other side of the shop, and turning over the books.

"Mr Flat," said my mother, "your subscription to the library is out
last month; I presume I can put your name down again?"

"Well, I don't know; I never read a book," replied Mr Flat, yawning.

"That's not at all necessary, Mr Flat," said my mother; "in most
businesses there are sleeping partners; besides, if you don't read, you
come here to talk, which is a greater enjoyment still, and luxuries must
be paid for."

"Well, I'll try another quarter," replied Mr Flat, "and then--"

"And then what?" said my aunt Milly, smiling.

"Well, I don't know," says Flat. "Is that clock of yours right, Mrs
Keene?"

"It is; but I am fearful that your thoughts run faster than the clock,
Mr Flat; you are thinking of the dress-bugle for dinner."

"No, I was not."

"Then you were thinking of yourself?"

"No, I wasn't, Mrs Keene," said Flat, rising, and walking out of the
shop.

"I'll tell you," said he, turning round as he went out, "what I was
thinking of, Mrs Keene; not of myself,--I was thinking of my bull pup."

My mother burst out a laughing as the lieutenant disappeared. "I was
not far wrong when I said he was thinking of himself," said she, "for a
_calf_ is a sort of _bull pup_."

At this sally Captain Bridgeman laughed, and danced about the shop; at
last he said, "Poor Flat! Miss Amelia, he's desperately in love with
you."

"That's more than I am with him," said Amelia, calmly.

Here two ladies came in.

Captain Bridgeman made a most polite bow. "I trust Mrs Handbell is
quite well and Miss Handbell--I hardly need ask the question with the
charming colour you have?"

"Capta