"I am sorry for it," said Miss Matilda; "but I draw the line at billiards. It is a detestable game, played on a green cloth which is the flag of gambling, and--" "If you will take my advice, Matty, you will hold your tongue," said Sir Hampton. "My guests will like a game at billiards, and I'll be bound to say, before we've had the table in the house a month, you'll be playing a game yourself." "Hampton!" "Same as you do at whist." "I oblige your guests, and make up your horrid rubbers." "But I say, aunty, you do like winning, you know," chimed in Fin. "Oh, my dear, I--" "You pocketed fifteen shillings--I won't say `bob,' because it's slangy," said Fin, laughing mischievously. "I protest, I--" "Er-rum!--I will not hear another word. We start for town to-morrow; and, my dears, you asked me once for horses--you shall have them. Fin, my child, don't strangle me! There, now, see how you've rumpled my cravat!" "Oh, thank you, daddy!" "Now, if you say _daddy_ again, I'll alter my mind," said the old gentleman, angrily. "There, then, I won't," said Fin. "But I say, pa, we must have a groom." "Of course, my dear." "And riding-habits." "To be sure." "And we can get them in town. Oh, Tiny, do say `Hooray' for once in your life." "Er-rum! It's my intention," said Sir Hampton, "to patronise the sports of our country, and foster hunting, game-keeping, and the like. By the way, that man Lloyd might do some commissions for me. Matty, you will keep house till we return. My dears, we start to-morrow morning." "Then all I've got to say," said Miss Matilda, sharply, "is this--" "Yelp! yelp! yelp!"--a succession of wild shrieks from beneath the antimacassar, out of one side of which lay a thin black tail, in very close proximity to Fin's pretty little foot, and in an instant Aunt Matty was down upon her knees, talking to and caressing the dog. "Er-rum!" went Sir Hampton, slowly crossing the hall to his library, followed by Lady Rea; and directly after Miss Matilda hurried away, with her pet in her arms. "Now, Fin, that was cruel. I saw you tread on Pip's tail," said Tiny. "Doing evil that good might come," said Fin, defiantly. "Look here, Tiny--pets were anciently offered up to save a row. If I hadn't made him squeal, there would have been pa storming, Aunt Matty going into hysterics, and ma worried to death; so that it was like the old nursery rhyme--" "I trod sharp on the little dog's tail; The dog began to shriek and wail, And poor Aunty Matty turned mighty pale: It stopped papa from blowing a gale; And that's the end of my little tale." "Er-rum!" was heard from across the hall. "There's daddy going to lecture me; and look here, Tiny, Edward will come in directly to clear the cloth. Now, then, here's a penny; let's toss. Heads or tails, who wins." "Wins what?" "Mr Richard Trevor, and Penreife. Now then, cry!" "No," said Tiny, "I'll laugh instead." And she kissed her sister on the cheek.