otioned them back to their seats.

"There is still one more question that I must ask you," he said,
rising and stepping to Tamsin's side. "You guess what it is?"

"I mou't," admitted Peter slowly.

"I ask you, then, if Tamsin has your leave to make me happy.
Knowing what it costs you--"

"No cost, sir, where our little maid's happiness es consarned.
Tamsin knaws that, but 't 'as been the harder to talk wi' her as us
shud ha' wished, an' that there's no denyin'. Us knawed all along
she'd be leavin' us some day, an' oft'n Paul an' me have a-made up
each other's mind to 't. I misdoubts, sir--I misdoubts sorely--
seein' 'tes _you_ her heart es set to marry--meanin' no offence, sir.
But as _'tes_ set--Tamsin, girl, we'll be goin', I reckon.
I'm thinkin' I've a-parted wi' enough o' my heart's blud for wan
night."

He moved towards the door, but came back again to shake hands, with a
word of self-reproach for his lack of courtesy. Then, with a
tenderness almost motherly on his mahogany face--

"Be gentle wi' her," he said. "She's quick to larn--an' takes cold
aisy, which, ef seen to early, a little nitre will a'most al'ays
pervent. Come 'long, Tamsin."

CHAPTER XXV.

WHICH ENDS THE STORY OF TROY.

The wedding took place in less than two months after Mr. Fogo's
dinner-party. A longer interval would have proved, I believe, fatal
to both Peter and Paul, who wore themselves thin over small
anxieties, from the trousseau to the cake.

Three days before the wedding, for instance, they rowed down to Kit's
House and awoke Caleb at 4.30 a.m. by throwing gravel against his
window.

"Oh, 'tes you," said Caleb, as he thrust open the lattice; "what's
amiss now?"

"We have been considerin' which of us two es to gi'e Tamsin away."

"Toss up."

"We _have_ tossed up--scores o' times."

"Well?"

"The results," said Peter gravely, "es versified."

"What?"

"Otherwise, various. The results es various--inclinin' to Paul."

"Well, let Paul do it."

"Peter es oulder," objected Paul.

"By dree minnits--which don't fairly count," put in Peter.

"Peter," observed Caleb, "looks th' oulder--by full dree minnits."

"Paul went to school afore me," said Peter, "by two days--along o'
measles."

"Look 'ere," decided Caleb, "let Paul gi'e her away, an' you, bein'
the better spokesman, can propose th' health o' the bride an'
bridegroom."

This satisfied them, and so it was arranged at the wedding. I am not
g