PASSAGE IN THE LIFE OF MR. WATKINS TOTTLE. 129 



said Gabriel, as they approached the house. " Mind your eye, 

 Tottle." 



" Never fear," replied Watkins, resolutely, as he made his way to 

 the spot where the ladies were walking. 



" Here's Mrs. Tottle, my dear/' said Mrs. Parsons, addressing Miss 

 Lillerton. The lady turned quickly round, and acknowledged his 

 courteous salute with the same sort of confusion that Watkins had 

 noticed on their first interview, but with something like a slight ex- 

 pression of disappointment or carelessness. 



<e Did you see how glad she was to see you ?" whispered Parsons to 

 his friend. 



" Why I really thought she looked as if she would rather have seen 

 somebody else," replied Tottle. 



Pooh, nonsense !" whispered Parsons again " It's always the way 

 with women, young or old. They never like to show how delighted 

 they are to see those whose presence makes their hearts beat. It's 

 the way with the whole sex ; and no man should have lived to your 

 time of life without knowing it. Fanny confessed it to me, when we 

 were first married, over and over again see what it is to have a 

 wife." 

 - " Certainly," whispered Tottle, whose courage was vanishing fast. 



" Well now, you'd better begin to pave the way," said Parsons ; 

 who, having invested some money in the speculation, assumed the 

 office of director. 



" Yes, yes, I will presently/' replied Tottle, greatly flurried. 



" Say something to her, man/' urged Parsons again. " Damn it ! 

 pay her a compliment, can't you ?" 



" No ! not till after dinner/' replied the bashful Tottle, anxious to 

 postpone the evil moment. 



" Well, gentlemen," said Mrs. Parsons, " you are really very polite ; 

 you stay away the whole morning, after promising to take us out, and 

 when you do come home, you stand whispering together, and take no 

 notice of us." 



" We were talking of the business, my dear, which detained us 

 this morning," replied Parsons, looking significantly at Tottle. 



" Dear me ! how very quickly the morning has gone," said Miss 

 Lillerton, referring to the gold watch, which was wound up on state 

 occasions, whether it required it or not. 



" I think it has passed very slowly/' mildly suggested Tottle. 



(" That's right bravo !") whispered Parsons. 



" Indeed !" said Miss Lillerton, with an air of majestic surprise. 



" I can only impute it to my unavoidable absence from your 

 society, Madam," said Watkins, " and that of Mrs. Parsons." 



During this short dialogue, the ladies had been leading the way to 

 the house. 



"What the deuce did you stick Fanny into that last compli- 

 ment for?" enquired Parsons, as they followed together! " it quite 

 spoilt the effect." 



" Oh ! it really would have been too broad without," replied 

 Watkins Tottle, " much too broad !" 



M.M. No. 2. S 



