"I am glad, Bill. But they couldn't have made a better man a sergeant if they'd tried," said Mary evasively. "I said it was a-coming off," said Revitts, "ain't it?" He leaned forward, and looked at Mary; she, with the stocking on one arm, and the long darning-needle in her hand, held it as if to keep him off. I saw Mary's scarlet face gradually raised till her eyes met his, and then a soft, foolish-looking smile began to dawn upon one corner of her lips, pass over to the other, and gradually make them open to show her white teeth, before running right up, and half-closing her eyes. The same kind of smile, but much larger, appeared on Revitts' face; and there they sat, smiling at one another, till I took up my cap and went out--even my exit being unnoticed--for another good servant was veritably lost to society. Mary's "tantrums" were at an end. CHAPTER THIRTY THREE. I HAVE ANOTHER LESSON IN LOVE. I felt rather nervous about asking for leave, but summoning up courage the next day, I knocked at the principal's door, and Mr Ruddle's voice bade me come in. "Well, Grace," he said, nodding to me pleasantly, "I wanted to see you." I looked at him wonderingly. "Only to say how glad I was to hear such a good account of you from Mr Rowle." "Thank you, sir." "But Mr Grimstone doesn't give you much praise," he continued, with rather a droll look in his eyes; "so I'm afraid you are a very ordinary sort of boy after all. Well, what do you want?" "I had a note from Miss Carr, sir, saying she would like to see me to-day. Can I be spared?" "Oh yes, certainly--certainly," said the old gentleman. "And look here, my man, you've made a good friend in that lady. Try and deserve it-- deserve it." "I will try, sir," I said. "That's right," he said; "and try hard.--Well, Grimstone, what is it?" The overseer looked from me to his principal and back again, before rustling some papers in his hand in an ill-used way. "It's very hard on me, sir, that more attention isn't paid to the business. Here are you and me toiling and moiling all day long to keep the customers right, and Mr John at races and steeplechases, and Lord knows what--anything but the business!" "You're always grumbling, Grimstone," said Mr Ruddle testily. "Here, let me see.--You needn't wait, Grace, you can go." I thanked him and hurried off, leaving the two immersed in some business matters, and thinking of nothing else now but my visit. There was a warm welcome for me at Westmouth Street, and Miss Carr's eyes looked bright and satisfied, I thought; but I could not help seeing that she was paler and thinner than when I saw her last. "Well, Antony," she said, after seating me beside her; "it seems an age since we met. What have you been doing?" I told her--busy at the office, and also about Mr Revitts. "Yes," she said thoughtfully. "I was in the neighbourhood of Rowford last month, and I--" "You were down there?" I said eagerly.