"I know a public-house which is to be bought cheap, if bought at once. Never mind how I know, but I do. We could get it for five thousand pounds and have plenty over to go on with. You and I might work the business up and in two years sell it for twice as much as we gave for it. Joe, what do you think?" "I think--it's no use my telling you what I think, because you wouldn't like it. You might as well talk about buying the moon." "I'm not so sure of that. I believe I could earn the money if I liked." "You earn five thousand pounds! Well! I don't want to say anything--not a word; but might I just ask how you propose to set about it?" "By bringing an action for breach of promise of marriage." "What!" "I shouldn't be surprised if I got at least five thousand pounds by way of damages." Joe Lamb, who had risen from his seat, was staring at her with, on his countenance, an expression of increasing stupefaction. "From whom?--from me?" "The idea!" She laughed, as if the notion tickled her. "In the first place, I shouldn't dream of suing you, even if you were to prove false; and you know very well that you're not worth half as many farthings if I did. No; I propose to obtain my five thousand pounds from Sir Frank Pickard." "Who's Sir Frank Pickard?" "He's a young gentleman--a very young gentleman, just turned twenty-one, who's fallen head over heels in love with me." The lady was looking down at her skirt, as she smoothed it with the tips of her fingers, with an air of the most extreme demureness. Mr Lamb's face, as he regarded her, was rapidly assuming the hue of a boiled lobster. "So you've been encouraging him, have you?" "I have been doing nothing of the kind. So far, I haven't spoken to him a single word. I've declined to receive his presents--even his flowers." "So he's been sending you presents, has he!--and flowers." The lady sighed, as if she found the gentleman a little trying. "My dear Joe, all sorts of people fall in love with me to whom I have never spoken in my life, or they say they do. They send me flowers and presents, and all kinds of things, which I always refuse to accept, although some of the other girls call me a goose for my pains. I can't help their falling in love with me, can I?" She looked up at him with an air of innocence which was almost too perfect to be real. So far from it appeasing him, he began stamping up and down the room, clenching and unclenching his fists as he moved. "A nice sort of thing for a man to be told by his young woman! You shall leave that confounded theatre this week!" "To do so is part of my plan. I shall hand in my notice to-morrow--that is, if I am engaged to Sir Frank Pickard by then." "What?" "Joe! don't be silly! Why are you glaring at me like that? Won't you understand? Already, in three separate and distinct letters Sir Frank has asked me to marry him." "Has he?" "Though, of course, I've paid no sort of attention to his insane request." "I should think it was insane!"