The party thereupon, with much laughter, betook themselves to the task, talking gaily, and admiring the landscape as they munched--for even young ladies munch--the chestnuts. One accident only happened, and that was not of an important nature. Longears, full of curiosity, like most intellectual characters, had approached very near Verty as he was mashing the chestnuts upon the stone selected for the purpose, and even in the excess of his interest, had protruded his nose in the vicinity of the young man's left hand, which held the nuts, while he prepared to strike it with the mass of limestone which he held in his right. It chanced that Verty was talking to Fanny when Longears made this demonstration of curiosity, and did not observe him. Longears sniffed. Verty raised his stone. Longears smelt at the chestnut in his master's grasp, his cold muzzle nearly touching it. The stone crashed down. Longears made a terrific spring backwards, and retiring to some distance rubbed his nose vigorously with his paws, looking all the while with dignified reproach at his master. The nose had not suffered, however, and Longears was soon appeased and in a good humor again. The incident caused a great accession of laughter, and after this the chestnuts having been eaten, the party rose to walk on. CHAPTER XL. UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE. "How, sir." "Well, madam." "Keep your promise." "Please to indicate it." "I refer, sir, to your college album." "Oh, certainly! here it is, my darling--all ready." And Mr. Ralph Ashley, between whom and Miss Fanny this dialogue had taken place, seated himself beneath a magnificent tulip-tree; and with a movement of the head suggested a similar proceeding to the rest. All being seated, the young man drew from his breast-pocket a small volume, bound in leather, and with a nod to Fanny, said: "I have changed my mind--I can't read but two or three." "Broken your promise, you mean." "No, my own;--oh, no." "Ralph, you are really too impudent!" "How, pray?" "And presumptuous!" "Why?" "Because, sir--" "I call you 'my own' in advance? Eh?" "Yes, sir!" Fanny had uttered the words without reflection--intending them as a reply to Mr. Ralph's sentence, the words "in advance," being omitted therefrom. Everybody saw her mistake at once, and a shout of laughter greeted the reply. Ralph assumed a close and cautious expression, and said: "Well--I will be more careful in future. The fact is, that people who are _to be_ married, should be as chary of their endearments, in public, as those who _are_ married." General laughter and assent--except from Fanny, who was blushing.