e sitting together in
their superlatively neat drawing-room, and Miss Dobson was knitting
while Miss Frances was reading a novel from the circulating library.
In the middle of chapter four they were astonished to hear the unwonted
sound of a motor-car, and when the sentence was finished they both rose
and walked to the window.

There stood a large red car, with a chauffeur in dark-grey livery with
a light-brown fur rug round his knees. Before their astonishment
permitted the remark that some one must have stopped at the wrong
house, the door opened and the most demure parlour-maid in England
stood nervously holding the handle.

"A gentleman in a motor-car," said Selina.

"I think," answered Miss Dobson, "that he must have made a mistake in
the number."

"He asked for Miss Dobson," said Selina. "Not knowing the name, I left
him in the hall."

"Quite right," returned Miss Frances.

"Name o' Clynesworth," said Selina.

"Perhaps," suggested Miss Dobson, "he wishes to sell something."

"A motor-car!" remarked Miss Frances.

"I suppose we ought to receive him," said her sister, and accordingly
Jimmy was conducted to the drawing-room, where he at once began to make
an almost abject apology.

"My only excuse," he concluded, "is that I have the honour to call
myself a friend of Miss Rosser's."

"Our dearest niece," murmured Miss Dobson.

"You may know," said Jimmy, who had scarcely ever felt quite so nervous
in his life, "that Bridget has been living at No. 5, Golfney Place!"

"Extremely unsuitable on all accounts," answered Miss Dobson.

"Extremely," said Miss Frances.

"As she left her rooms the day before yesterday," Jimmy explained, "I
thought it possible she might have come to you."

"We sincerely wish she had," said Miss Dobson.

"Sincerely," said Miss Frances.

"You may think it is rather strange that I should be pursuing Bridget
in this way," suggested Jimmy.

"We do," said Miss Dobson.

"My object," continued Jimmy, "is to ask her to marry me!"

"Will you kindly take a chair," cried Miss Dobson, and they all looked
about as if to make certain there was nothing in the way, and then sat
down. "The present," Miss Dobson added, "may not be the most suitable
occasion to inquire concerning your eligibility. My niece is a sweet
girl."

"I entirely agree with you," said Jimmy.

"A little impulsive, it may be," said Miss Dobson.

"Perhaps, a little," murmured Miss Frances.

"But exceedingly