A sharp glance was directed at Patty by Janet, as the dealer spoke; for Wragg's absence being likely to last the whole day, while Canau's engagements would occupy him for a considerable portion of it, Mrs Pellet had been persuaded to let Patty come and bear her friend company during the time when she would otherwise have been left alone in charge of D. Wragg's stock-in-trade. "Coming back," said D. Wragg, "I shall see about the four-wheeler, so as we can go down comfortable. What time shall we start?" He looked at Janet as he spoke, but she was thoughtful and silent; coming back though into the present, upon being again addressed. "All right, then!" said D. Wragg; "to-morrow morning, directly arter breakfast, say half arter eight, and that will be nine; and you and Mother Winks will be sure and get a basket all ready." D. Wragg took his departure, after an affectionate glance all round at the birds and the rest of his stock-in-trade, while the little Frenchman stood lighting his cigarette with the match handed him by Janet. "You will stay with Janet?" he said to Patty, as he turned to go. "Yes; she has promised," said Janet, quickly; "but you will be back in an hour to paint the birds?" "Good! yes, in one hour;" and raising his hat, he replaced it, old and pinched of brim, very much on one side, and sauntered out. The two girls, left now alone, stood silently in the shop for a few minutes, and then entered the back-room, where, in a quiet, pre-occupied manner, Janet commenced arranging cardboard, gum, and various packets of feathers, upon the table; an operation interrupted almost directly by a loud tapping upon the shop-counter. Patty turned to answer the summons for her friend, but, on reaching the glass-door, she started back, looking pale and anxious. "Oh, pray go!" she whispered to Janet, whose dark eyes were fixed maliciously upon her. "So it is the gay cavalier, is it?" laughed Janet, in a harsh angry fashion. "No, no!" whispered Patty, "but that dreadful man. He follows me, and always comes to the shop when he thinks I am here." "I'll answer him," said Janet, fiercely; and then in a whisper, "should you have turned back if it had been some one else?" Patty's sole reply was a look of reproach, one, though, that spoke volumes, as the deformed girl left the room to encounter the heavy, surly-voiced young man, who, upon being sharply asked what he wanted-- "Didn't quite know. Perhaps it were a bird, or it might be a ferret; but he wasn't quite sure. How-so-be, _she_ wasn't the one as was in the shop the other day. Where was the other one? Oh! she was busy, was she? Then p'raps he'd call again;" after which the heavy gentleman loitered slowly out of the shop, to hang about the window, glancing in at the birds and chewing straws. "He's gone!" said Janet, returning to the room. "He's a hideous wretch, ugly as I am. Such impudence! He did not want to buy anything. But what a little coward you are!"