k I shall be at Penzance
also while you are there. My cousin Juliott is coming here in about a
fortnight to celebrate the important event of my coming of age, and I
promised to go for her. I might as well go now."

She said nothing.

"I might as well go any time," he said rather impatiently. "I haven't
got anything to do. Do you know, before you came along just now, I was
thinking what a very useful person you were in the world, and what
a very useless person I was--about as useless as this little cur. I
think somebody should take me up and heave me into a river. And I was
wondering, too"--here he became a little more embarrassed and slow of
speech--"I was wondering what you would say if I spoke to you, and
gave you a hint that sometimes--that sometimes one might wish to cut
this lazy life if one only knew how, and whether so very busy a person
as yourself mightn't--don't you see?--give one some notion--some sort
of hint, in fact--"

"Oh, but then, Mr. Trelyon," she said quite cheerfully, "you would
think it very strange if I asked you to take any interest in the
things that keep me busy. That is not a man's work. I wouldn't accept
you as a pupil."

He burst out laughing. "Why," said he, "do you think I offered to mend
stockings and set sums on slates and coddle babies?"

"As for setting sums on slates," she remarked with a quiet
impertinence, "the working of them out might be of use to you."

"Yes, and a serious trouble too," he said candidly. "No, no--that
cottage business ain't in my line. I like to have a joke with the
old folks or a romp with the kids, but I can't go in for cutting out
pinafores. I shall leave my mother to do my share of that for me; and
hasn't she come out strong lately, eh? It's quite a new amusement for
her, and it's driven a deal of that organ-grinding and stuff out of
her head; and I've a notion some o' those parsons--"

He stopped short, remembering who his companion was; and at this
moment they came to a gate which opened out on the highway, through
which the small cur was passed to find his way home.

"Now, Miss Wenna," said the young man--"By the way, you see how I
remember to address you respectfully ever since you got sulky with me
about it the other day?"

"I am sure I did not get sulky with you, and especially about that,"
she remarked with much composure. "I suppose you are not aware that
you have dropped the 'Miss' several times this morning already?"

"Did I, really? We