our soft
speeches, Frank! Keep them for somebody else who will appreciate them
better;" and she laughed her cheery, merry laugh, wishing me good-night
and sending me home much easier in my mind and happier than I had been
for many days past.

On the following afternoon I was introduced, as my old friend had
promised; and you may be certain that I tried to make myself as
agreeable as I could be to Min's mother. I think I succeeded, too; for,
when I took my leave early, in order to allow Miss Pimpernell and her
visitor an opportunity of discussing the best way of relieving the
parish poor, Mrs Clyde gave me an invitation.

"Mr Lorton," said she, "I should be glad if you would come round and
see us on Wednesday evening--I think you know our address? My daughter
is going to have a few friends in for a little music; and we shall both
be happy if you will join us. Miss Pimpernell tells me you are very
musical."

"With great pleasure," I answered, in society's stock phraseology. With
the "greatest" pleasure, I might have said, as I could almost have
jumped for joy. Just fancy! all that I had longed for was accorded in a
moment. My good fairy must undoubtedly have been hovering about the
vicarage premises that day; and I strongly suspect my good fairy in this
instance, as was the case also in many other circumstances of my life,
being none other than my very unfairylike old friend, little Miss
Pimpernell, the vicar's kind-hearted sister.

Did I not look forward to Wednesday evening? Did I not, when the time
for me to dress at last came round after an excruciatingly long
interval, bestow the most elaborate and unheard-of pains on my toilet,
almost rivalling Horner's generally unimpeachable "get up"? Did I not
proceed in the utmost joy and gladness towards the habitation of my
darling?

I should rather think I did!

And yet, when I crossed the threshold of Miss Clyde's house, I was
seized with a sudden vague impression of uneasiness. I felt a, to me,
singular sensation of nervousness, shyness, "mauvais honte"--just as if
a cold key had been put down my back--for which I was at a loss to
account. Those who know me say that bashfulness is one of the least of
my virtues; and, I do not think that I am constitutionally timid--so why
this feeling? Was it not a foreboding of evil? I believe it was, for
everything went wrong with me that night, instead of my having a surfeit
of pleasure, as I had sanguinely expected.