figure in angry astonishment, then changing his mind
about first visiting the Commissary, he opened the garden gate, and came
suddenly upon Dorothy Scarsbrook seated upon a rustic bench, weeping
bitterly.

"My tear yong lady, vat is de matter? I beg you to led me gomfort you."

"There is nothing the matter, Mr. Portveldt I thank you, but you cannot
be of any service to me," and Dolly buried her face in her handkerchief
again.

"I am sorry ferry mooch to hear you say dat, Mees Dorotee, vor it vas
mein hop dot you would dake kindtly to me."

Dolly made no answer, and then Captain Portveldt sat down beside her,
his huge figure quite filling up all the remaining space.

"Mees Dorotee," he began ponderously, "de trood is dot I vas goming to
see you to dell you I vas ferry mooch in loaf mid you, und to ask you to
be mein vifes; but now dot you do veep so mooch, I----"

"Say no more if you please, Mr. Portveldt," said Dolly, hastily drying
her eyes. Then, rising with great dignity, she bowed and went on: "Of
course I am deeply sensible of the great honour that you do me, but
I can never be your wife." And then to herself: "I fancy that I have
replied in a very proper manner."

"Vy, vat vas der wrong aboud me, Mees Dorotee?" pleaded Portveldt "I vas
feery yoyful in mein mind tinking dot you did loaf me some liddle bid. I
have mooch money; mein haus in Batavia is mosd peautiful, und you shall
have plendy servands to do all dot you vish. Oh, Mees Dorotee! vat can
be wrong mid me?"

"There is nothing that I object to in you, sir, except that I do not
love you. Really you cannot expect me to marry you because I have seen
you half a dozen times and have treated you with politeness."

"I do hobe, Mees Dorotee, dot id is not because of dot yong mans who vas
so oncivil to me yoost now dot you vill not haf me. He vas dell me to go
to der tuyvel ven I did say 'goot morning' yoost now."

"It is no young man, sir. Mr. Foster is a person for whom I have a great
regard, but I do not intend to marry him. I will only marry a gentleman.

"Oh, bud, Mees Dorotee, am I not a yentle-mans?"

"I do not consider masters of merchantmen gentlemen," replied Dolly with
a slight sniff. "My father is an officer in the King's service, and I
have been taught to----"

"Ha, ha! Mees Dorotee," laughed Portveldt good-humouredly, "dot is nod
so. Your baba is but a gommissary who puys de goots vich I bring me from
Batavia to sell."

"How dare you