"Vandells, or Vanleigh, or Vandunk, I don't care a button what his ugly
Dutch name is!" cried Lady Rea, angrily; "and I say it shan't go on!"

"Hampton!" began Aunt Matty, "do you intend--"

"Didn't I tell you not to interfere, Matilda?" exclaimed Sir Hampton,
pettishly.

Aunt Matty darted an indignant glance at him, gathered up her skirts,
and sailed out of the room, Sir Hampton wiping his perspiring brow.

"I thank you for your kindness, Lady Rea," said Trevor. "I will go now;
perhaps another time Sir Hampton will accord me an interview."

"No; don't you go, my dear boy," said Lady Rea, earnestly, and she took
his hand. "I give way in nearly everything, but I'm not going to give
way in this."

"Fanny, this is foolishness," said Sir Hampton, who looked as if in a
state of collapse.

"It's such foolishness as this that makes people happy," said Lady Rea;
"and if Mr Trevor loves my darling, as I know she loves him, no one
shall stand in their way."

"But, Fanny," said Sir Hampton, "I..."

"Look here, Hampy, you used to be very fond of me. Now, how would you
have liked my father to make me marry some one else?"

"May I come in?" said a little voice; and Fin peeped in, entered, and
closed the door. "I saw Aunt Matty go, so I came. Oh, pa, dear, Tiny
is in such trouble--how could you?"

She seated herself on his knee, nestled up to him, and the knight began
to stroke her hair.

"There now," said Fin, "I knew pa would be a dear kind old dad, as soon
as he knew about Tiny. There now, I may fetch her down."

"No, no, Finetta, certainly not, I..."

Fin was gone.

"There, Hampy," said Lady Rea, going up to him, "you do love your
children."

"I don't like it--I--I protest against it!" exclaimed Sir Hampton,
struggling against the bonds his woman folk had wreathed around him.

"Sir Hampton," said Trevor, holding out his hand, "say you relent."

"And--er-rum!--how the deuce--devil am I to face those gentlemen?"
exclaimed Sir Hampton.

"I'll see them," said Lady Rea, firmly. "Here's Tiny."

In effect that young lady entered, red-eyed, wet-cheeked, and blushing,
to throw herself on her father's breast, and cling there sobbing
violently, while Fin took the precaution to lock the door.

"I don't like it, Tiny, I--er-rum!--I..."

"Oh, dear papa, I could not marry him," sobbed Tiny--and her emotion was
so excessive that Sir Hampton grew frightened, and soothed and petted
her till her sobs grew less vio