’You! of course she would not show her goings on before you, said the lady.

‘Is Master Frank in the house?’ put in Mr. White; ’I should like to put the question before him.’

‘You can’t expect a young man to make mortifying admissions,’ exclaimed the mother, and as she saw smiles in answer she added, ’Of course, the girl has played the modest and proper throughout!  That was her art, to draw him on, till he did not know what he was about.’

‘Setting aside the supposed purpose,’ said Sir Jasper, ’you admit, Mrs. Stebbing, that of your own knowledge, Miss White has never encouraged your son’s attentions.’

‘N—–­no; but we all know what those girls are.’

‘Fatherless and unprotected,’ said Sir Jasper, ’dependent on their own character and exertion, and therefore in especial need of kind construction.  Good morning, Mrs. Stebbing; I have learnt all that I wish to know.’

Overpowered, but not convinced, Mrs. Stebbing saw her visitors depart.

‘And I hope her husband will give it to her well,’ said Mr. White, as they left the house.

They looked in at Beechcroft Cottage with the tidings.

‘All safe, I see!’ cried Miss Jane.  ‘Is the money found?’

’No; Mrs. Stebbing burnt it, under the impression that it was a love-letter,’ drily said Sir Jasper.

Miss Mohun led the way in the hearty fit of laughter, to which the gentlemen gave way the more heartily for recent suppression; and Mr. White added—–­

’I assure you, it was as good as a play to hear Sir Jasper worm it out.  One would think he had been bred a lawyer.’

‘And now,’ said the General, ’I must go and relieve that poor girl’s suspense.’

‘I will come with you,’ volunteered Mr. White.  ’I fully believe that she is a good girl, though this business and Master Richard’s applications staggered me; and this soldier fellow must be an ass if he is not a scamp.’

‘Scarcely that, I think,’ said Miss Adelaide, with her pleading smile.

‘Well, discipline will be as good for him as for his father,’ said Mr. White.  ’He has done for himself, but that was a nice little lad that you had up—–­too good for a common national school.’

Wherewith they departed, and found that Kalliope must have been on the watch, for she ran down to open the door to them, and the gladness which irradiated her face as Sir Jasper’s first ‘All right,’ lighted up her features, which were so unlike the shop-girl prettiness that Mr. White expected as quite to startle him.

Richard was in the parlour in a cloud of smoke, and began to do the honours.

’Our acknowledgments are truly due to Sir Jasper.  Mr. White, we are much honoured.  Pray be seated, please to excuse—–­’

They paid little attention to him, while Sir Jasper told as much to his sister as could well be explained as to the fate of her envelope, and added—–­