"Bless you, dear heart! I surprise myself. I’m a smallish man, as inches count, but I’m simply bustin’ with big ideas. I surprised Tomlin, too." "I don’t like Mr. Tomlin." "Now, why not?" "He looks so sly." "He’s foxy, very. Has to be. A London dealer must be sharper than his customers. The big collectors, the chaps that write thumpin’ cheques are no fools, and some of them are knaves. I could tell you stories——" "Please don’t, dear." "Why not?" "I don’t want to listen to unpleasant stories now; and besides, mother is expecting me. It’s washing day." "I hate the thought of my Sue at the wash tub!" She considered this gravely, with her head a little upon one side. Then she answered soberly, "I like doing things, and getting them done properly." "By Gum, you seem to forget you’re a lady born." "I’m only half and half, Joe. It will be a real pride to me getting up your shirts." "There’ll be none o’ that, my girl." She laughed gaily, but her face was pensive as she returned to Laburnum Row. *III* Next Sunday happened to be an exceptionally fine day. Quinney accompanied Susan and her mother to the Cathedral, but after the service Mrs. Biddlecombe returned to Laburnum Row, leaving the lovers in the elm-encircled Close. Quinney, whose eyes were sparkling even more than usual, strolled across the Mel, and presently he paused opposite the Dream Cottage. Susan pinched his arm. "How horrid of you to bring me here," she whispered. "I hate the sight of it now." "But why? Queer things girls are, to be sure." "If it’s queer not to stare at what one can’t have, I’m queer," said the young lady rather shortly. "I was never one to flatten my nose against the window of a hat-shop when I’d no money to buy hats." "You’re a sensible little dear! But I brought you here because the place is sold. I knew that would cure you. Now oughtn’t we to have a squint at the first?" "It would make me squint to look at it now." "It’s nicer than a tent." "A tent?" "You said you would live happily in a tent with me." "Men don’t understand women." "That’s a horrid thought with our two lives to live out together." He looked so sorry because he couldn’t understand women that Susan kissed him, having satisfied herself that nobody was in sight. She said softly: "Well, Joe, it is really my fault because I did disguise my disappointment very cleverly, didn’t I?" Quinney chuckled. "Disguise it? Bless your simple heart! I saw two fat tears rolling down your cheeks. I was the one who disguised my disappointment." Whereat Susan protested stoutly that she had never seen any man look so disgusted as her Joe, when the agent mentioned the price of the Dream Cottage. She concluded on a high note of assurance.