to be strangers. He is turning
over the goods with an air, she trying to look equally careless, but
what a pretty carnation it is! Ha! ha! he has come to it--he has it! Now
the acting is over, and they are having their laugh out! How joyously!
What next! Oh! she begs off from keeping shop--she darts out to him,
goes off in his hand--I declare that is the prettiest sight in the whole
fair! I wonder who the little demoiselle can be?"

The great event of the day was over now with Blanche, and she greatly
enjoyed wandering about with Hector and Tom. There was a post-office
at Miss Cleveland's stall, where, on paying sixpence, a letter could be
obtained to the address of the inquirer. Blanche had been very anxious
to try, but Flora had pronounced it nonsense; however, Hector declared
that Flora was not his master, tapped at the sliding panel, and charmed
Blanche by what she thought a most witty parody of his name as Achilles
Lionsrock, Esquire. When the answer came from within, "Ship letter, sir,
double postage," they thought it almost uncanny; and Hector's shilling
was requited by something so like a real ship letter, that they had
some idea that the real post had somehow transported itself thither. The
interior was decidedly oracular, consisting of this one line, "I counsel
you to persevere in your laudable undertaking."

Hector said he wished he had any laudable undertaking, and Blanche tried
to persuade Tom to try his fortune, but he pronounced that he did
not care to hear Harvey Anderson's trash--he knew his writing, though
disguised, and had detected his shining boots below the counter. There
Mr. George Rivers came up, and began to tease Blanche about the guards,
asking her to take his fifteen shillings--or five-and-twenty, and who
had got that one, which alone he wanted; till the poor child, after
standing perplexed for some moments, looked up with spirit, and said,
"You have no business to ask," and, running away, took refuge in the
back of Mrs. Hoxton's marquee, where she found Ethel packing up for Miss
Hoxton's purchasers, and confiding to her that Mr. George Rivers was a
horrid man, she ventured no more from her protection. She did, indeed,
emerge, when told that papa was coming with Aubrey and Daisy and Miss
Bracy, and she had the pleasure of selling to them some of her wares.
Dr. May bargaining with her to her infinite satisfaction; and little
Gertrude's blue eyes opened to their full width, not understanding w