temptation--ten to three. After Slough the party was reduced to three. At Twylford one lady dropped her handkerchief; Captain Dolignan fell on it like a lamb; two or three words were interchanged on this occasion. At Reading the Marlborough of our tale made one of the safe investments of that day; he bought a "Times" and "Punch"--the latter full of steel-pen thrusts and woodcuts. Valour and beauty deigned to laugh at some inflamed humbug or other punctured by "Punch." Now laughing together thaws our human ice; long before Swindon it was a talking-match; at Swindon who so devoted as Captain Dolignan? He handed them out, he souped them, he tough-chickened them, he brandied and cochinealed one, and he brandied and burnt-sugared the other; on their return to the carriage one lady passed into the inner compartment to inspect a certain gentleman's seat on that side of the line. Reader, had it been you or I, the beauty would have been the deserter, the average one would have stayed with us till all was blue, ourselves included; not more surely does our slice of bread and butter, when it escapes from our hand, revolve it ever so often, alight face downward on the carpet. But this was a bit of a fop, Adonis, dragoon, --so Venus remained in tete-a-tete with him. You have seen a dog meet an unknown female of his species; how handsome, how _empresse_, how expressive he becomes: such was Dolignan after Swindon, and, to do the dog justice, he got handsome and handsomer. And you have seen a cat conscious of approaching cream: such was Miss Haythorn; she became demurer and demurer. Presently our captain looked out of the window and laughed; this elicited an inquiring look from Miss Haythorn. "We are only a mile from the Box Tunnel." "Do you always laugh a mile from the Box Tunnel?" said the lady. "Invariably." "What for?" "Why, hem! it is a gentleman's joke." Captain Dolignan then recounted to Miss Haythorn the following: "A lady and her husband sat together going through the Box Tunnel; there was one gentleman opposite; it was pitch-dark. After the tunnel the lady said, 'George, how absurd of you to salute me going through the tunnel!' 'I did no such thing.' 'You didn't?' 'No; why?' 'Because somehow I thought you did!'" Here Captain Dolignan laughed and endeavoured to lead his companion to laugh, but it was not to be done. The train entered the tunnel. _Miss Haythorn._ Ah! _Dolignan._ What is the matter? _Miss Haythorn._ I am frightened. _Dolignan_ (moving to her side). Pray do not be alarmed; I am near you. _Miss Haythorn._ You are near me--very near me indeed, Captain Dolignan. _Dolignan._ You know my name? _Miss Haythorn._ I heard you mention it. I wish we were out of this dark place. _Dolignan._ I could be content to spend hours here reassuring you, my dear lady. _Miss Haythorn._ Nonsense! _Dolignan._ Pweep! (Grave reader, do not put your lips to the next pretty creature you meet, or will understand what this means.)