o-peep uttered a huge laugh of delight, let himself in by
the back way, and ran up the stairs.

"Little-sing!" he said, and clasped his wife in his arms.

During dinner James Martin was in high good humor, and it was not
until dessert was put on the table and he had helped himself liberally
to port wine, and was filling his pipe for his evening smoke, that it
occurred to him to speak to his wife about Maggie.

"By the way," he said, "I did a right good turn for that girl of
yours, Little-sing, before I left for Liverpool. I sent her a box of
clothes--two smart everyday dresses, an evening dress, and no end of
fal-lals. She wrote to thank me, I suppose?"

"She wrote to me, dear," said Mrs. Martin, trembling a good deal. "She
was very much obliged to you."

"And well she ought to be. Did she clearly understand that I sent her
the things--that you had nothing to do with them?"

"Oh yes, yes," said Mrs. Martin. "Won't you have some coffee, James?
I'll tell Matilda to bring it in."

"Coffee--fiddlestick!" said Martin; "and you know I hate to be called
'James.' Where's Bo-peep?"

"You are Bo-peep," said his wife with a funny smile.

"Well, then, no 'Jamesing' of me. I think it is very queer of your
daughter not to reply to me when I send her expensive and handsome
things. What did she say in her letter to you?"

"Oh, she was very grateful, of course, Bo-peep."

"Well--but--where's the letter? I may as well see it. There's stuff in
that girl. I don't despair of her yet. She has a head for business. I
wouldn't have your dear little head muddled with business, but your
daughter's a different person. She has nothing whatever to live on
except what I allow her, and unless she is to starve she has got to
please me."

Mrs. Martin might have said, had she not been afraid, that Maggie was
certainly entitled to her own father's money; but it is to be
regretted that Little-sing had not much courage.

Matilda came in with the coffee, which caused a slight diversion, more
particularly as it was not to Martin's taste, who desired her to take
it away again, and request Horniman to send him something fit to
drink. When the door was closed behind Matilda he renewed the subject
of the letter.

"I saw you reading something as I came along," he said. "When I peeped
in at the window you had a letter in your hand. Who has been writing
to you?"

"Only Maggie."

"And that is the letter you spoke about?"

"Yes, dear James--I me