"Well, I staid all night, and the next morning watched again. I didn't knock. It wasn't a bit of use--not a darned bit. "Well, about nine o'clock the door opened, and I saw some one looking out very cautiously. In a minute I was standing before her, and held out my hand to shake hers. It was the old lady. But she didn't shake hands. She looked at me quite coolly. "'Good-morning, ma'am,' said I, in quite a winning voice. 'Good-morning, ma'am.' "'Good-morning,' she said. "'I come to see Minnie,' said I. "'To see Minnie!' said she: and then she told me she wasn't up. "'Ain't up?' said I; 'and it so bright and early! Why, what's got her? Well, you just go and tell her _I'm_ here, and I'll just step inside and wait till she comes down,' said I. "But the old lady didn't budge. "'I'm not a servant,' she said, very stiff; 'I'm her aunt, and her guardian, and I allow no messages to pass between her and strange gentlemen.' "'Strange gentlemen!' I cried. 'Why, ain't I engaged to her?' "'I don't know you,' says she. "'Wasn't I introduced to you?' says I. "'No,' says she; 'I don't know you.' [Illustration: "BUT I SAVED HER LIFE."] "'But I'm engaged to Minnie,' says I. "'I don't recognize you,' says she. 'The family know nothing about you; and my niece is a silly girl, who is going back to her father, who will probably send her to school.' "'But I saved her life,' says I. "'That's very possible,' says she; 'many persons have done so; yet that gives you no right to annoy her; and you shall _not_ annoy her. Your engagement is an absurdity. The child herself is an absurdity. _You_ are an absurdity. Was it not you who was creating such a frightful disturbance here yesterday? Let me inform you, Sir, that if you repeat it, you will be handed over to the police. The police would certainly have been called yesterday had we not wished to avoid hurting your feelings. We now find that you have no feelings to hurt.' "'Very well, ma'am,' says I; 'these are your views; but as you are not Minnie, I don't accept them. I won't retire from the field till I hear a command to that effect from Minnie herself. I allow no relatives to stand between me and my love. Show me Minnie, and let me hear what she has to say. That's all I ask, and that's fair and square.' "'You shall not see her at all,' says the old lady, quite mild; 'not at all. You must not come again, for you will not be admitted. Police will be here to put you out if you attempt to force an entrance as you did before.' "'Force an entrance!' I cried. "'Yes,' she said, 'force an entrance. You did so, and you filled the whole house with your shouts. Is that to be borne? Not by us, Sir. And now go, and don't disturb us any more.'