p to Tom, in that pretty tripping
style peculiar to herself, and whispered in his ear.

"Well, you baggage," said he, "I'll go with you; but I don't like
secrets. Walk into the parlour, friends; I'll be with you in a minute."

"Tom," said Lizette, pursing up her little mouth and elevating her pert
nose; "you can't guess what an interesting discovery I've made."

"Of course I can't," replied Tom, with affected impatience; "now, pray,
don't ask me to try, else I shall leave you instantly."

"What an impatient creature you are!" said Lizette. "Only think! I
have discovered that my maid, whom we hired only two days ago, has--"

"Bolted with the black cook, or somebody else, and married him,"
interrupted Tom, with a look of horror, as he threw himself into any
easy-chair.

"Not at all," rejoined Lizette, hurriedly; "nothing of the sort; she has
discovered that the little girl Mr Sinton brought with him is her
sister."

"What! Kate Morgan's sister!" cried Tom, with a look of surprise. "I
knew it; I was sure I had heard the name before, but I couldn't remember
when or where; I see it now; she must be the girl Larry O'Neil used to
talk about up at the diggin's; but as I never saw her there, of course I
couldn't know her."

"Well, I don't know about that; I suppose you're right," replied
Lizette; "but isn't it nice? They're kissing and hugging each other,
and crying, in the kitchen at this moment. Oh! I'm _so_ happy--the
dear little thing!"

If Lizette was happy she took a strange way to shew it, for she sat down
beside Tom and began to sob.

While the above conversation was going on up-stairs, another
conversation--interesting enough to deserve special notice--was going on
in the parlour.

"Sure don't I know me own feelin's best?" remarked Larry, addressing Ned
Sinton. "It's all very well at the diggin's; but when it comes to
drawin'-rooms and parlours, I feels--an' so does Bill Jones here--that
we're out 'o place. In the matter o' diggin' we're all equals, no
doubt; but we feels that we ain't gintlemen born, and that it's a'k'ard
to the lady to be havin' sich rough customers at her table, so Bill an'
me has agreed to make the most o' ourselves in the kitchen."

"Larry, you're talking nonsense. We have messed together on equal terms
for many months; and, whatever course we may follow after this, you
_must_ sup with us to-night, as usual. I know Tom will be angry if you
don't."

"Ay, sir, but it ain'