y so, Sir; and thank you. But cap and
ribbons are the last things I can buy while I'm in _this_ place.
Master's master and missus too, here; and drives us half wild with the
fuss he makes about our caps and ribbons. He's such an austerious man,
that he will have our caps as he likes 'em. It's bad enough when a
missus meddles with a poor servant's ribbons; but to have master come
down into the kitchen, and--Well, it's no use telling _you_ of it,
Sir--and--and thank you, Sir, for what you've given me, all the same!"

"I hope this is not the last time I shall make you a present. And now I
must come to the favour I want to ask of you: can you keep a secret?"

"That I can, Sir! I've kep' a many secrets since I've been out at
service."

"Well: I want you to find me an opportunity of speaking to your young
lady--"

"To Miss Margaret, Sir?"

"Yes. I want an opportunity of seeing Miss Margaret, and speaking to her
in private--and not a word must be said to her about it, beforehand."

"Oh Lord, Sir! I couldn't dare to do it!"

"Come! come! Can't you guess why I want to see your young lady, and what
I want to say to her?"

The girl smiled, and shook her head archly. "Perhaps you're in love with
Miss Margaret, Sir!--But I couldn't do it! I couldn't dare to do it!"

"Very well; but you can tell me at least, whether Miss Margaret ever
goes out to take a walk?"

"Oh, yes, Sir; mostly every day."

"Do you ever go out with her?--just to take care of her when no one else
can be spared?"

"Don't ask me--please, Sir, don't!" She crumpled her apron between her
fingers, with a very piteous and perplexed air. "I don't know you;
and Miss Margaret don't know you, I'm sure--I couldn't, Sir, I really
couldn't!"

"Take a good look at me! Do you think I am likely to do you or your
young lady any harm? Am I too dangerous a man to be trusted? Would you
believe me on my promise?"

"Yes, Sir, I'm sure I would!--being so kind and so civil to _me,_ too!"
(a fresh arrangement of the cap followed this speech.)

"Then suppose I promised, in the first place, not to tell Miss Margaret
that I had spoken to you about her at all. And suppose I promised, in
the second place, that, if you told me when you and Miss Margaret go
out together, I would only speak to her while she was in your sight, and
would leave her the moment you wished me to go away. Don't you think you
could venture to help me, if I promised all that?"

"Well, Sir, that would