Mr. Jinks was more self-possessed.

“Ah, my dear sir!” he said, stalking toward Verty, and grimacing, at the same time, at Redbud, “are you there, and with the fairest of her—­hem!”

And Mr. Jinks stopped, nearly caught in the meshes of his gallantry.

“Yes, this is me, and I’ve been talking with Redbud,” said Verty; “is that Miss Sallianna?”

The lady had recovered her simper; and now flirted her fan as gracefully as ever.

“See how your reputation has gone far and wide,” said Mr. Jinks, with a fascinating grimace.

“You know you were talking of her when—­how do you do, Miss Sallianna,” said Verty, holding out his hand.

“La!” said the fair one, inserting the points of her fingers into Verty’s palm, “and Mr. Jinks was talking of me?  What did he say, sir,—­I suppose it was in town.”

“No, ma’am,” said Verty, “it was at the gate, when I came to see Redbud—­the pigeon showed me the way.  He said you were something—­but I’ve forgot.”

“The paragon of beauties and the pearl of loveliness,” suggested Mr. Jinks.

“I don’t think it was that,” Verty replied, “but it was something pretty—­prettier than what you said just now, when you were courting Miss Sallianna, you know.”

Mr. Jinks cleared his throat—­Miss Sallianna blushed.

“Really—­” said Mr. Jinks.

“What children!” said the lady, with a patronizing air; “Reddy, do you know your lesson?”

By which question, Miss Sallianna evidently intended to reduce Miss Redbud to her proper position of child.

“Yes, ma’am,” said Redbud “and Mrs. Scowley said I might come in here.”

“With this—­young man?”

“Yes, ma’am.  He is a very old friend of mine.”

“Indeed!” simpered the lady.

“Are you not, Verty?”

But Verty was intently watching Longears, who was trying to insert his nose between two bars of the garden gate.

“Anan?” he said.

“La, what does he mean?” said the lady; “see! he’s looking at something.”

Verty was only making friendly signs to Longears to enter the garden.  Longears no sooner understood that he was called, than he cleared the fence at one bound, and came up to his master.

Mr. Jinks had not heard his own voice for at least half a minute; so he observed, loftily: 

“A handsome dog! a very handsome dog, sir!  What did you say his name was?  Longears?  Yes?  Here, Longears!”

And he made friendly signs of invitation to the hound.  Longears availed himself of these indications of friendship by rearing up on Mr. Jinks, and leaving a dust-impression of his two paws upon that gentleman’s ruffled shirt-bosom.

Verty laughed, and dragged him away.

“Longears,” he said, “I’m surprised at you—­and here, too, where you should conduct yourself better than usual!”

Miss Sallianna was about to say something, when a bell was heard to ring.