"I thank you for your explanation, madam; I shall always take it as a great compliment if I see a lady very busy at work when I'm conversing, with her." "But you may flatter yourself, Captain Bridgeman," replied my mother; "the attention to her work may arise from perfect indifference, or from positive annoyance. It saves the trouble of making an effort to be polite." "And pray, may I inquire, Miss Amelia, what feeling may cause your particular attention to your work at this present moment?" "Perhaps in either case to preserve my self-possession," replied Amelia; "or perhaps, Captain Bridgeman, I may prefer looking at a piece of muslin to looking at a marine officer." "That's not very flattering," replied the captain; "if you spoil the muslin, you're determined not to spoil me." "The muslin is of little value," said Amelia, softly, walking to the other side of the shop, and turning over the books. "Mr Flat," said my mother, "your subscription to the library is out last month; I presume I can put your name down again?" "Well, I don't know; I never read a book," replied Mr Flat, yawning. "That's not at all necessary, Mr Flat," said my mother; "in most businesses there are sleeping partners; besides, if you don't read, you come here to talk, which is a greater enjoyment still, and luxuries must be paid for." "Well, I'll try another quarter," replied Mr Flat, "and then--" "And then what?" said my aunt Milly, smiling. "Well, I don't know," says Flat. "Is that clock of yours right, Mrs Keene?" "It is; but I am fearful that your thoughts run faster than the clock, Mr Flat; you are thinking of the dress-bugle for dinner." "No, I was not." "Then you were thinking of yourself?" "No, I wasn't, Mrs Keene," said Flat, rising, and walking out of the shop. "I'll tell you," said he, turning round as he went out, "what I was thinking of, Mrs Keene; not of myself,--I was thinking of my bull pup." My mother burst out a laughing as the lieutenant disappeared. "I was not far wrong when I said he was thinking of himself," said she, "for a _calf_ is a sort of _bull pup_." At this sally Captain Bridgeman laughed, and danced about the shop; at last he said, "Poor Flat! Miss Amelia, he's desperately in love with you." "That's more than I am with him," said Amelia, calmly. Here two ladies came in. Captain Bridgeman made a most polite bow. "I trust Mrs Handbell is quite well and Miss Handbell--I hardly need ask the question with the charming colour you have?" "Captain Bridgeman, you appear to live in this library; I wonder Mrs Keene don't take you into partnership." "If I were not honoured with the custom of Mrs Handbell and other ladies; I fear that my shop would have little attraction for gentlemen," replied my mother, with a courtesy. "Mrs Keene is quite correct in her surmise, Miss Handbell," said Captain Bridgeman, "now that I have seen you, I shall not think my morning thrown away."