moreover, that "poor dear Fullertori" was in no way responsible for her recent misfortunes. The "reptile," and the "reptile" only, was to blame. After one of these skirmishes with his mother, George, ruffled and disgusted, took his way home, to find Letty eagerly engaged in choosing silk curtains for the drawing-room. "Oh! how lucky!" she cried, when she saw him. "Now you can help me decide--_such_ a business!" And she led him into the drawing-room, where lengths of pink and green brocade were pinned against the wall in conspicuous places. George admired, and gave his verdict in favour of a particular green. Then he stooped to read the ticket on the corner of the pattern, and his face fell. "How much will you want of this stuff, Letty?" he asked her. "Oh! for the two rooms, nearly fifty yards," said Letty, carelessly, opening another bundle of patterns as she spoke. "It is twenty-six shillings a yard!" said George, rather gloomily, as he fell, tired, into an armchair. "Well, yes, it _is_ dear. But then, it is so good that it will last an age. I think I must have some of it for the sofa, too," said Letty, pondering. George made no reply. Presently Letty looked up. "Why, George?--George, what _is_ the matter? Don't you want anything pretty for this room? You never take any interest in it at all." "I'm only thinking, darling, what fortunes the upholsterers must make," said George, his hands penthouse over his eyes. Letty pouted and flushed. The next minute she came to sit on the edge of his chair. She was dressed--rather overdressed, perhaps--in a pale blue dress whereof the inventive ruffles and laces pleased her own critical mind extremely. George, well accustomed by now to the items in his mother's bills, felt uncomfortably, as he looked at the elegance beside him, that it was a question of guineas--many guineas. Then he hated himself for not simply admiring her--his pretty little bride--in her new finery. What was wrong with him? This beastly money had put everything awry! Letty guessed shrewdly at what was the matter. She bit her lip, and looked ready to cry. "Well, it is hard," she said, in a low, emphatic voice, "that we can't please ourselves in a few trifles of this sort--when one thinks _why_!" George took her hand, and kissed it affectionately. "Darling, only just for a little--till I get out of this brute's clutches. There are such pretty, cheap things nowadays--aren't there?" "Oh! if you want to have a South Kensington drawing-room," said Letty, indignantly, "with four-penny muslin curtains and art pots, you can do _that_ for nothing. But I'd rather go back to horsehair and a mahogany table in the middle at once!" "You needn't wear 'greenery-yallery' gowns, you know." said George, laughing; "that's the one unpardonable thing. Though, if you did wear them, you'd become them." And he held her at arm's length that he might properly admire her new dress.