s me that the
company wait you, mam----"

"Do--not----"

"Madam!"

"Nor that!"

"My lady Betty," he amended, after a momentary pause. "The company--

"Pish to the company!"

"But madam, consider----"

"Pooh to the company! Pray be seated again, Major John. You love your
nephew, sir?"

"Indeed! 'Tis a noble fellow, handsome, rich and--young----"

"True, he's very young, Major John!"

"And--er--" the Major glanced a little helplessly towards the
tobacco-box, "he--he loves you and, er----"

"Mm!" said Lady Betty, biting the pen thoughtfully between white teeth.
"He loves me, sir--go on, I beg!"

"And being a lover he awaits you impatiently."

"And the others, sir."

"And the others of course, and here are you--I mean here am I----"

"You, Major John--but O why drag yourself into it?"

"I mean that whiles they wait for sight of you I--er--keep you here----"

"By main force, sir."

The Major laughed.

"They will be growing desperate, I doubt," said he.

"Well, let 'em, Major John, I prefer to be--kept here awhile. Pray be
seated as you were."

He obeyed, though his usually serene brow was flushed and his gaze
wandered towards the tobacco-box again, perceiving which, my lady
placed it in his hand.

"As regards your nephew----"

"Meaning Tom."

"Meaning Pancras, sir, he plagued me monstrously this morning. I was
alone within the bower and he had the extreme impertinence to--climb
the wall."

"The deuce he did, mam!"

"It hath been done before, I think, sir!" she sighed. "Being stole
into the arbour he set a cushion on the floor and his knees thereon
and, referring to his tablets, spoke me thus: 'Here beginneth the
one-hundred-and-forty-sixth supplication for the hand, the heart, the
peerless body of the most adorable----' but I spare you the rest, sir.
Upon this, I, for the one-hundred and forty-sixth time incontinent
refused him, whereupon he was for reading an ode he hath writ me,
whereupon I, very naturally, sought to flee away, whereupon a great,
vile, hugeous, ugly, monstrous, green and hairy caterpillar fell upon
me--whereupon, of course, I swooned immediately."

"Poor child!" said the Major.

"The couch being comfortably near, sir."

"Couch!" exclaimed the Major, staring.

"Would you have me swoon on the floor, sir?"

"But if you swoon, mam----"

"I swoon gracefully, sir--'tis a family trait. I, being in a swoon,
then, Major John, your nephew had the extreme temerity