"I thought not. Well, I have. He's been an' gone an' given it away to Mrs Bosenna, up at Rilla." Mrs Bowldler turned pale and gripped the edge of the table. "I'll bet you any money," Fancy nodded slowly. "Ho! catch me ere I faint!" panted Mrs Bowldler. "Why, what's the matter? She's a married woman, or has been." "If only you'd heard--" "Yes, it's a pity," agreed Fancy, and turned about. "Pam!" "Yes, Miss," answered Palmerston. "Call me 'Fancy.'" "Yes, Miss Fancy." She stamped her small foot. "There's no 'Miss' about it. How stupid you are--when you see I'm in a hurry, too! Call me 'Fancy.'" "Y-yes--Fancy," stammered Palmerston, blushing furiously, shutting his eyes and dropping his voice to a whisper. "That's better. . . . What does it feel like? Pleasant?" "V-very pleasant, miss--Fancy, I mean. It--it'll come in time," pleaded Palmerston, still red to the eyes. "That's right, again. Because I want you to marry me, Pammy dear." "Well! the owdacious!" exclaimed Mrs Bowldler in a kind of hysterical titter, snatching at her bodice somewhere over the region of her heart. Fancy paid no heed to her. "Only we must make a runaway match of it," she went on, "for there's no time to lose, it seems." For answer Palmerston burst into a flood of tears. "There now!" Mrs Bowldler of a sudden became serious. "You might have known he's too soft to be teased. . . . Oh, be quiet, do, Palmerston! Think of your namesake!" A bell jangled overhead. "Captain Hocken's bell!--and the child's face all blubbered, which he hates to see, while as for Captain Hunken--there! it that isn't his bell going too in the adjoining! Palmerston, pull yourself together and be a man." "I c-can't, missus," sobbed Palmerston. "He--he said yesterday as he'd g-give me the sack the next time he saw my eyes red." "Well, I must take 'em their tea myself, I suppose," said Mrs Bowldler, who had a kind heart. "No, Palmerston, your eyes are not fit. But you see how I'm situated?" she appealed to Fancy. "Do you usually let them ring for tea?" Fancy asked. "No, child. There must be something wrong with them both, or else with my clock," answered Mrs Bowldler with a glance up at the timepiece. "But twenty-five past four, I take you to witness! and I keep it five minutes fast on principle." "There _is_ something wrong," Fancy assured her. "If you'll take my advice, you'll go in and look injured." "I couldn't keep 'em waiting, though injured I will look," promised Mrs Bowldler, catching up one of the two tea-trays. "Palmerston had better withdraw into the grounds and control himself. I will igsplain that I have sent him on an errand connected with the establishment." She bustled forth. Fancy closed the door after her; then turned and addressed Palmerston.