th me pertinaciously when you're not
asked." All this Captain Batsby did not understand, but, as he left
Lombard Street, he made up his mind that of all the men he had ever
met, Sir Thomas Tringle, his future father-in-law, was the most
singular. "He's a better fellow than Traffick," said Sir Thomas to
himself when he was alone, "and as he has trusted me so far I'll not
throw him over."

The Captain now had no hesitation in taking himself to Queen's Gate.
As he was to be married he might as well make the best of such
delights as were to be found in the happy state of mutual affection.
"My dear, dearest Benjamin, I am so happy," said Lady Tringle,
dissolved in tears as she embraced her son-in-law that was to be.
"You will always be so dear to me!" In this she was quite true.
Traffick was not dear to her. She had at first thought much of Mr.
Traffick's position and noble blood, but, of late, she too had
become very tired of Mr. Traffick. Augusta took almost too much upon
herself, and Mr. Traffick's prolonged presence had been an eyesore.
Captain Batsby was softer, and would be much more pleasant as a
son-in-law. Even the journey to Ostend had had a good effect in
producing a certain humility.

"My dear Benjamin," said Augusta, "we shall always be so happy to
entertain you as a brother. Mr. Traffick has a great regard for
you, and said from the first that if you behaved as you ought to do
after that little journey he would arrange that everything should go
straight between you and papa. I was quite sure that you would come
forward at once as a man."

But Gertrude's delight was, of course, the strongest, and Gertrude's
welcoming the warmest,--as was proper. "When I think of it," she said
to him, "I don't know how I should ever have looked anybody in the
face again,--after our going away with our things mixed up in that
way."

"I am glad rather now that we didn't find the clergyman."

"Oh, certainly," said Gertrude. "I don't suppose anybody would have
given me anything. Now there'll be a regular wedding, and, of course,
there will be the presents."

"And, though nothing is to be settled, I suppose he will do
something."

"And it would have been very dreadful, not having a regular
trousseau," said Gertrude. "Mamma will, of course, do now just as she
did about Augusta. He allowed her L300! Only think;--if we had been
married at Ostend you would have had to buy things for me before
the first month was out. I hadn't m