and you're
going to live with us, Cobbs.

"'Sir.'

"'What do you think my grandmamma gives me, when I go down there?'

"'I couldn't so much as make a guess, sir.'

"'A Bank of England five-pound note, Cobbs.'[A]

"'Whew!' says Cobbs, 'that's a spanking sum of money, Master Harry.'

"'A person could do a great deal with such a sum of money as that.
Couldn't a person, Cobbs?'

"'I believe you, sir!'

"'Cobbs,' said the boy, 'I'll tell you a secret. At Norah's house they
have been joking her about me, and pretending to laugh at our being
engaged. Pretending to make game of it, Cobbs!'

"'Such, sir,' says Cobbs, 'is the wickedness of human natur'.'

"The boy, looking exactly like his father, stood for a few minutes with
his glowing face towards the sunset, and then departed with, 'Good
night, Cobbs. I'm going in.'

"I was the Boots at the Holly Tree Inn when one summer afternoon the
coach drives up, and out of the coach gets these two children.

"The guard says to our governor, the inn-keeper, 'I don't quite make out
these little passengers, but the young gentleman's words was, that they
were to be brought here.' The young gentleman gets out; hands his lady
out; gives the driver something for himself; says to our governor,
'We're to stop here to-night, please. Sitting-room and two bedrooms will
be required. Chops and cherry-pudding for two!' and tucks her, in her
little sky-blue mantle, under his arm, and walks into the house much
bolder than brass.

"Boots leaves me to judge what the amazement of that establishment was
when those two tiny creatures, all alone by themselves, was marched into
the parlor--much more so when he, who had seen them without their seeing
him, gave the governor his views of the errand they was upon. 'Cobbs,'
says the governor, 'if this is so, I must set off myself to York and
quiet their friends' minds. In which case you must keep your eye upon
'em, and humor 'em, till I come back. But, before I take these measures,
Cobbs, I should wish you to find out from themselves whether your
opinions is correct.' 'Sir, to you,' says Cobbs, 'that shall be done
directly.'

"So Boots goes up stairs to the parlor, and there he finds Master Harry
on an enormous sofa a-drying the eyes of Miss Norah with his
pocket-hankecher. Their little legs were entirely off the ground of
course, and it really is not possible for Boots to express to me how
small them children looked.

"'It's Cobbs! It's Cobbs!