e last fortnight, had passed
regularly between Oileymead and the house in the Close, and as to
which Mr Cheesacre was very pointed in his inquiries with Jeannette.
Then behind the cream there were two or three heads of broccoli, and
a stick of celery as thick as a man's wrist. Altogether the tribute
was a very comfortable assistance to the housekeeping of a lady
living in a small way in lodgings.

Mr Cheesacre, when he saw the array on the long sofa-table, knew that
he was to prepare himself for some resistance; but that resistance
would give him, he thought, an opportunity of saying a few words that
he was desirous of speaking, and he did not altogether regret it. "I
just called in," he said, "to see how you were."

"We are not likely to starve," said Mrs Greenow, pointing to the
delicacies from Oileymead.

"Just a few trifles that my old woman asked me to bring in," said
Cheesacre. "She insisted on putting them up."

"But your old woman is by far too magnificent," said Mrs Greenow.
"She really frightens Kate and me out of our wits."

Mr Cheesacre had no wish that Miss Vavasor's name should be
brought into play upon the occasion. "Dear Mrs Greenow," said he,
"there is no cause for you to be alarmed, I can assure you. Mere
trifles;--light as air, you know. I don't think anything of such
things as these."

"But I and Kate think a great deal of them,--a very great deal, I can
assure you. Do you know, we had a long debate this morning whether or
no we would return them to Oileymead?"

"Return them, Mrs Greenow!"

"Yes, indeed: what are women, situated as we are, to do under such
circumstances? When gentlemen will be too liberal, their liberality
must be repressed."

"And have I been too liberal, Mrs Greenow? What is a young turkey and
a stick of celery when a man is willing to give everything that he
has in the world?"

"You've got a great deal more in the world, Mr Cheesacre, than you'd
like to part with. But we won't talk of that, now."

"When shall we talk of it?"

"If you really have anything to say, you had by far better speak to
Kate herself."

"Mrs Greenow, you mistake me. Indeed, you mistake me." Just at this
moment, as he was drawing close to the widow, she heard, or fancied
that she heard, Jeannette's step, and, going to the sitting-room
door, called to her maid. Jeannette did not hear her, but the bell
was rung, and then Jeannette came. "You may take these things down,
Jeannette," she said. "M