“Well, I was pretty hard up, I tell you.  But I wasn’t going to give up.  So I staid there, and began a siege.  I crossed the concierge’s palm again, and was in and out all night.  Toward morning I took a nap in his chair.  He thought it was some government business or other, and assisted me all he could.  I didn’t see any thing at all though, except an infernal Italian—­a fellow that came calling the first day I was there, and worked himself in between me and Min.  He was prowling about there, with another fellow, and stared hard at me.  I watched him, and said nothing, for I wanted to find out his little game.  He’s up to something, I swear.  When he saw I was on the ground, though, he beat a retreat.

“Well, I staid all night, and the next morning watched again.  I didn’t knock.  It wasn’t a bit of use—­not a darned bit.

“Well, about nine o’clock the door opened, and I saw some one looking out very cautiously.  In a minute I was standing before her, and held out my hand to shake hers.  It was the old lady.  But she didn’t shake hands.  She looked at me quite coolly.

“‘Good-morning, ma’am,’ said I, in quite a winning voice.  ‘Good-morning, ma’am.’

“‘Good-morning,’ she said.

“‘I come to see Minnie,’ said I.

“‘To see Minnie!’ said she:  and then she told me she wasn’t up.

“‘Ain’t up?’ said I; ’and it so bright and early!  Why, what’s got her?  Well, you just go and tell her I’m here, and I’ll just step inside and wait till she comes down,’ said I.

“But the old lady didn’t budge.

“‘I’m not a servant,’ she said, very stiff; ’I’m her aunt, and her guardian, and I allow no messages to pass between her and strange gentlemen.’

“‘Strange gentlemen!’ I cried.  ‘Why, ain’t I engaged to her?’

“‘I don’t know you,’ says she.

“‘Wasn’t I introduced to you?’ says I.

“‘No,’ says she; ‘I don’t know you.’”

[Illustration:  “BUT I SAVED HER LIFE.”]

“‘But I’m engaged to Minnie,’ says I.

“‘I don’t recognize you,’ says she.  ’The family know nothing about you; and my niece is a silly girl, who is going back to her father, who will probably send her to school.’

“‘But I saved her life,’ says I.

“‘That’s very possible,’ says she; ’many persons have done so; yet that gives you no right to annoy her; and you shall not annoy her.  Your engagement is an absurdity.  The child herself is an absurdity. You are an absurdity.  Was it not you who was creating such a frightful disturbance here yesterday?  Let me inform you, Sir, that if you repeat it, you will be handed over to the police.  The police would certainly have been called yesterday had we not wished to avoid hurting your feelings.  We now find that you have no feelings to hurt.’

“‘Very well, ma’am,’ says I; ’these are your views; but as you are not Minnie, I don’t accept them.  I won’t retire from the field till I hear a command to that effect from Minnie herself.  I allow no relatives to stand between me and my love.  Show me Minnie, and let me hear what she has to say.  That’s all I ask, and that’s fair and square.’