‘Officious, indeed! I should call it d--d impertinence on his part,’ acquiesced her husband, ‘and he wouldn’t try that game on twice with me! To tell you the truth, little woman, I don’t like your Mr Hindes any more than you do; he interfered in my affairs sufficiently by informing me I was to make myself scarce, but I expect by this time that he has found out his mistake. There is certainly something curious about the fellow. One cannot find fault with his manner, which is most courteous, and he seems well-informed into the bargain, and yet he has a knack of saying the most unpleasant things in a pleasant way that I ever came across. However, he will never worry you again, my Jenny, nor cross your path, if you don’t wish him to do so.’ ‘Oh! I have no wish to cut him, only I fancy he will influence papa to hold out against us as long as possible. For the funny part about him is, that although he has always been so kind to me, personally, whenever he advises papa on my account, it is always something to give me annoyance instead of pleasure. I really quite hated him at one time, for so constantly opposing my wishes. I was always doing something unladylike, or dangerous, or foolish, according to Mr Hindes’ account.’ ‘Well, that’s over, at all events,’ replied Frederick, ‘neither Mr Hindes, nor Mr Anybody else, shall ever interfere with my wife’s pursuits. If I think she is endangering her precious safety, I shall kiss her till she promises me to leave it off and be a good girl, but nothing else shall come between us.’ ‘I shall go on being bad, so that you may go on kissing me,’ said Jenny, as she nestled closer to him. ‘But what are we going to decide about to-morrow, little wife?’ asked the young man, after an eloquent pause. ‘Is it to be Paris or not?’ ‘Do the boats run to-morrow?’ asked Jenny, dubiously. ‘I fancy so, but that is soon ascertained. They are sure to know all about it in the hotel. The question is, do you prefer to cross to-morrow or Monday?’ ‘We are very happy here,’ said the girl, thoughtfully. ‘Happy! my sweet! happy is not the word for it. We are in Paradise, at least I know I am. But what made you make that remark?’ ‘Because, if it is all the same to you, Fred, I would rather stay here till Monday; then, if my father writes to me, or wishes to see me, I shall have time to receive his letter or to receive him before we leave England.’ ‘Very well, dear, have your own way in everything. You will never find me oppose your wishes. I am not so sanguine as you are about the old people coming round so quickly--I fancy your dear papa has a will of his own--still, it will be as well, perhaps, to stay a day or two in England, to give them a chance of behaving like Christians. But what do you feel like now doing now, eh?’ ‘Kissing you,’ replied Jenny, suiting the action to the word.