pride?"

"No," said the young man, "not where she is concerned."

"I don't believe you have," said the other, regarding him, "and I expect
that's where the trouble is. Did she ever have reason to think you were
looking after any other girls?"

"Never, I swear it," said Mr. Hurst, eagerly.

"Just so," said Mr. Mott, with a satisfied nod. "That's where you made a
mistake. She was too sure of you; it was too easy. No excitement.
Girls like a man that other girls want; they don't want a turtle-dove in
fancy trousers."

Mr. Hurst coughed.

"And they like a determined man," continued Miss Garland's uncle. "Why,
in my young days, if I had been jilted, and come down to see about it,
d'you think I'd have gone out of the house without seeing her? I might
have been put out--by half-a-dozen--but I'd have taken the mantelpiece
and a few other things with me. And you are bigger than I am."

"We aren't all made the same," said Mr. Hurst, feebly.

"No, we're not," said Mr. Mott. "I'm not blaming you; in a way, I'm
sorry for you. If you're not born with a high spirit, nothing'll give it
to you."

"It might be learnt," said Mr. Hurst. Mr. Mott laughed.

"High spirits are born, not made," he said. "The best thing you can do
is to go and find another girl, and marry her before she finds you out."

Mr. Hurst shook his head.

"There's no other girl for me," he said, miserably. "And everything
seemed to be going so well. We've been buying things for the house for
the last six months, and I've just got a good rise in my screw."

"It'll do for another girl," said Mr. Mott, briskly. "Now, you get off
back to town. You are worrying Florrie by staying here, and you are
doing no good to anybody. Good-bye."

"I'll walk back as far as the door with you," said Mr. Hurst. "You've
done me good. It's a pity I didn't meet you before."

"Remember what I've told you, and you'll do well yet," he said, patting
the young man on the arm.

"I will," said Mr. Hurst, and walked on by his side, deep in thought.

"I can't ask you in," said Mr. Mott, jocularly, as he reached his door,
and turned the key in the lock. "Good-bye."

"Good-bye," said Mr. Hurst.

He grasped the other's outstretched hand, and with a violent jerk pulled
him into the street. Then he pushed open the door, and, slipping into
the passage, passed hastily into the front room, closely followed by the
infuriated Mr. Mott.

"What--what--what!" stammered t