It was one of Minnie's good days. She was seated in her lounging-chair by the fire, but she was not altogether reclining in it--merely leaning a little back against the cushions. A small writing-table stood in front of her. It was covered with papers--amongst them a copy of the local newspaper--and she had evidently been busily occupied. When Algernon entered she held out her hand with a smile of welcome. "This is very good!" she exclaimed. "I was not sure that I should succeed in tearing your postmastership away from the multifarious duties----" Algernon winced, and held up his hand. "Don't, Minnie!" he cried. "For mercy's sake, let me forget all that for half an hour!" "Oh, reassure yourself, most overworked of public servants! It is not about the conveyance of his Majesty's mails that I am going to talk to you." "Upon my word, I am infinitely relieved to hear it." And, indeed, his countenance brightened at once, and he took a chair opposite to Minnie with all his old nonchalant gaiety. "How you hate your office!" said Minnie, looking at him curiously. "More, even, than your native laziness--which I know to be considerable--would seem to account for." "Not at all! There is no difficulty in accounting for my distaste for the whole business. There can be no difficulty. It is the simplest, most obvious thing in the world!" "Don't things go smoothly? Have you any special troubles or difficulties in the office, Algernon?" "Special troubles! My dear Minnie, what on earth are you driving at?" "I am 'driving' at nothing more than the simple sense of my words implies," she answered, with a marked shade of surprise in her countenance. "I mean just what I say. Is your work going pretty smoothly? Have you any complaints? Does your clerk do well?" "Oh, Gibbs? Capitally, capitally! Old Obadiah is a first-rate fellow. Did you know his name was Obadiah? Absurd name, isn't it? Oh yes; he's all right. I trust him entirely--blindly. He has the whole thing in his hands. He might do anything he liked in the office. I have every confidence in Gibbs. But now, Minnie, let us have done with the subject. If you had as much of it as I have you would understand----Come, dismiss the bugaboo, or I shall think you have entrapped me here to talk to me about the post-office. And I warn you I don't think I should be able to stand that, even from you!" "How absurdly you are exaggerating, Algy," said Minnie, shaking her head at him, and yet smiling a little at the same time. "But be at peace. I have nothing to say on the subject of the Whitford post-office. My discourse will chiefly concern the Whitford postmaster, and----No! Don't be so ridiculous! not in his official capacity, either!" "Oh! Well, in his private character, I should think it impossible to find a more delightful topic of conversation than that interesting and accomplished individual," returned Errington, laughing and settling himself comfortably in his chair.