ing interview with Diana Hope. She kept feeling the letter in her pocket to make quite sure that she had it safe, and as she withdrew her hand from feeling it, returned it again instantly, saying to herself, Suppose that I should find it gone!'

But the letter lay quite comfortably and securely where she had put it, waiting to do its work and bring about results she little expected.

'I wonder what she will wear to-night?' she thought. 'Hardly that holland dress again, though even from that I've got a notion about a sleeve which, if I can coax Frank to let me get myself some French cambric, I'd make a charming polonaise to wear over my white petticoats. I believe I can cut the sleeve just like that, and it's decidedly new. It's well to be a lady, and dress as you please, with more money than you know what to do with. It's the gloves and the boots that pass my patience entirely, for I never could get the same, except a pair now and then, maybe, for very best; and then they would only be imitations of such shoes and such gloves as they wear, heigho!'

Then Lettice returned to her story-book, and read happily enough till her husband came to fetch her. Here another little play had to be enacted. She assumed her most languid and affected manner, assured him that the going out before dinner in the sun must have given her a headache, and that there

was nothing would cure it except quiet; he must make her excuses to the Donollys, and enjoy the microscope without her.

Frank stoutly declared that he could enjoy nothing without her, and at first demurred about going at all. It could be put off till another day, and he would stay and read aloud to her instead. But this she would not hear of. Read aloud for a headache!—how like a man !—no, thank him. She was very much obliged, but if he did not go to the Donolly's, it would only be he in the shop and she in the drawing-room; and she would most likely go to sleep, and she would not have anybody in the same room with her. She would just take a nap, and sleep off her headache, and be as brisk as a bee when he came back.

Frank grumbled, as husbands who love their wives do grumble, at being obliged to go out alone. It seems so unnatural leaving you by yourself,' he said ruefully.

'Sure it wouldn't, if it was business that took you,' she replied very brightly considering what a headache she had, and in the argument quite forgetting to be lack-a-daisical or affected; and why mind it now, then? Or if it was the shop, why, you will be hours upon hours in the shop without me, and think no harm of it.'

'But that is so different,' remonstrated Frank.

'Then I'd rather you'd be spending your afternoon genteelly with a friend,' said Lettice, 'than behind the counter. Give me a kiss and

go; there's a dear boy. It's only a microscope, and it's only a frog's leg!' and so Frank kissed her and went.

HEN the time approached that Diana Hope might be expected, Lettice ran down into the shop with beating heart

and sparkling eyes.

'Pat,' she cried, 'you may go out and take a walk. I want you to go to the Chestnuts, and-and-leave

a note.'

'Shure, ma'am dear, the masther himself says I will moind the shop till he's in it; an' then I will go an' see the ould mother, who is ill, the craytur, an' wantin' me.'

'That's lucky,' cried his mistress. 'I mean that I'm very sorry your mother is ill, Pat,' she added. quickly; 'but it is lucky that I can spare you at once. I'll mind the shop, and you will go to your poor mother directly.'

'An' thank ye koindly, ma'am. An' it's my mother that will be prayin' for yez night and day, an' maybe her prayers will do yez no harm!' and so Pat, nothing loath, went to his mother, and Lettice sat down in the shop and waited breathlessly.

She did not wait long. Into the shop ran Miss Diana Hope, flushed, eager, expectant.

'You good creature!' she exclaimed when she beheld our heroine; and here you are, and alone, too, bless you! Give it me, give it me! Did you ever see the beasts in the Zoo just before they are fed, or hear them, I should say?' and she stretched out both her hands, curled up her pretty lips so as to show the white teeth within, and gave a long and quite sufficiently loud howl.

Lettice laughed, and extracting the letter from her pocket, presented it to the extended hands. Miss Diana seized it, and running into the window, first pressed the senseless thing to her lips, and then opened it. She read it eagerly, with little exclamations and bursts of laughter.

'Oh my, my, my!' she exclaimed when she had finished the perusal, 'this is becoming serious. The boy raves; what shall I do? How desperate these men are!'

'Are they?' said Lettice simply.

Miss Diana was in deep thought, smiling, frown