the salaried juniors, giving him instructions
to look after it, just as soon as I heard what Grinstuns had his eye
on."

"Mr. Coristine! How shall I ever thank you for your kindness, you, of
all men, who profess to treat us workers for our living as positive
nonentities?"

"By forgetting the past, Miss Du Plessis, and allowing me the honour of
your acquaintance in future. By the-bye, as you admire Wordsworth, and
good poetry, and airnest, serious men, I'll just go and send Wilks to
you. I have a word for Miss Carmichael. Is she constructed on the same
poetic principles as yourself?"

"Go away then, _farceur_! No; Marjorie is inclined to frivolity."

With a wave of her fan, she dismissed the lawyer, who began to think
lady stenographers and typewriters a class worthy of platonic attention.
"Short hand!" he muttered to himself; "hers is rather a long one and
pretty, and she is a favourable type of her kind, but I'm afraid a pun
would make her faint, when Wilks would certainly call me out and shoot
me dead with his revolver."

"Wilks, my boy," said Coristine aloud, when he reached the stiff chair
in which the dominie sat erect, facing Miss Carmichael on a lounge at
safe distance; "Miss Du Plessis would like to hear you discuss
Wordsworth and other Sunday poets. She doesn't seem to care about
hearing my composition on the Grinstun man."

The dominie eagerly but properly arose, answering: "Miss Du Plessis does
too much honour to my humble poetic judgment, and, in regard to your
doggrel, shows her rare good sense." He then walked across the room to
the object of his laudation, and, taking Coristine's vacated chair,
remarked that few poets preach a sermon so simply and beautifully as the
author of "The Excursion." Would Miss Du Plessis allow him to bring down
his pocket volume of the Rydal bard? Miss Du Plessis would be charmed;
so the schoolmaster withdrew, and soon reappeared with the book all
unconsciously open at "She was a phantom of delight." With guilty eyes,
he closed it, and, turning over the pages, stopped at the fifth book of
"The Excursion," announcing its subject, "The Pastor." It was now the
lady's turn to be uncomfortable, with the suggestion of Mr. Perrowne.
The lawyer, whose back had been turned to the poetic pair, looked
unutterable things at Miss Carmichael, who, not knowing to what extreme
of the ludicrous her companion might lead her, suggested a visit to the
garden, if Mr. Coristine did not think i