ly, he said:

"Now, my dear; now, my child; now, my little Cap, you know it was all
for your own good. Why, my dear, I never for one instant regretted
bringing you to the house, and I wouldn't part with you for a kingdom.
Come, now, my child; come to the heart of your old uncle."

Now, the soul of Capitola naturally abhorred sentiment. If ever she gave
way to serious emotion, she was sure to avenge herself by being more
capricious than before. Consequently, flinging herself out of the
caressing arms of Old Hurricane, she exclaimed:

"Uncle, I won't be treated with both kicks and half-pennies by the same
person, and so I tell you. I am not a cur to be fed with roast beef and
beaten with a stick, nor--nor--nor a Turk's slave to be caressed and
oppressed as her master likes. Such abuse as you heaped upon me I never
heard--no, not even in Rag Alley!"

"Oh, my dear! my dear! my dear! for heaven's sake forget Rag Alley?"

"I won't! I vow I'll go back to Rag Alley for a very little more.
Freedom and peace is even sweeter than wealth and honors."

"Ah, but I won't let you, my little Cap."

"Then I'd have you up before the nearest magistrate, to show by what
right you detained me. Ah, ha! I wasn't brought up in New York for
nothing."

"Whee-eu! and all this because, for her own good, I gave my own niece
and ward a little gentle admonition."

"Gentle admonition! Do you call that gentle admonition? Why, uncle, you
are enough to frighten most people to death with your fury. You are a
perfect dragon! a griffin! a Russian bear! a Bengal tiger! a Numidian
lion! You're all Barnum's beasts in one! I declare, if I don't write and
ask him to send a party down here to catch you for his museum! You'd
draw, I tell you!"

"Yes, especially with you for a keeper to stir me up once in a while
with a long pole."

"And that I'd engage to do--cheap."

The entrance of Mrs. Condiment with the tea-tray put an end to the
controversy. It was, as yet, a drawn battle.

"And what about the watch, my little Cap?"

"Take it back, uncle, if you please."

"But they won't have it back; it has got your initials engraved upon it.
Look here," said the old man, holding the watch to her eyes. "'C. L.
N.'--those are not my initials," said Capitola, looking up with
surprise.

"Why, so they are not; the blamed fools have made a mistake. But you'll
have to take it, Cap."

"No, uncle; keep it for the present," said Capitola, who was too honest
to t