stalked manfully up to the porch,
and rang the bell determinedly. When a man in brass buttons appeared to
answer his summons, Dudley felt decidedly more reassured, and his
previous fears of being greeted with a countryman's heavy boot were
agreeably dispelled.

"Is Miss Jennings in?" he asked, feeling for his card-case.

James stared. "Beg pardon, sir?"

"Miss Jennings,--Miss Jane Jennings," he repeated, with emphasis.

James surveyed the visitor from his jaunty straw hat to his neat
patent-leathers, cast a queer look at the crocodile card-case, replied,
"Humph! I'll see," and shut the door in his face.

"Infernal impudence, by Jove!" exclaimed Dudley, in wrath. "Does the
dolt take me for a tramp?" There was nothing for it, however, but to
wait where he was, which he did with bad grace enough until he heard a
hand upon the inner knob and saw the door slowly open, to disclose the
generous proportions of Mabel's maid.

"The old woman, by the gods!" he whispered, in dismay.

"I called--" he began.

"Yes, sir," replied Jane, in a flutter of excitement.

"I called--er--I have the pleasure of addressing Mrs. Jennings, I
presume?"

"_Miss_ Jennings,--Jane Jennings," she corrected, and blushing at the
title.

Dudley stared open-mouthed. "_Miss_ Jennings! Jane Jennings!" he
repeated, in astonishment. Then a terrible possibility dawned upon him.
A cold perspiration broke out all over him. Oh, god of love, was this
his precious Jennie? Had he made an irrevocable ass of himself over this
lump of ancient human flesh? A hue of brilliant scarlet suffused his
countenance. Oh, what an imbecile, a simple, drivelling idiot, he had
been!

"Was it me that you wished to see, sir?" she asked, wondering at his
strange manner.

"No!" he answered fiercely. "I think there must be some mistake," he
added more calmly, struggling to repress his feelings. "Very sorry to
have--er--Good-day." He turned suddenly, and, without another glance at
his long-lost Jennie, quickly gained the road and the welcome cover of
the hedge.

His uppermost feeling was undoubtedly that of anger mixed with
mortification, and he swore with sublime eloquence at his own folly as
soon as he was out of ear-shot of the house; but the ludicrous side of
his situation could not but strike him before he had gone many steps,
and he laughed grimly in spite of himself while repeating the
undeniable assertion that he had been a lamentable fool.

As he swung himself