“Here’s Mr. and Mrs. Boffin!” growled the hammer-headed young man through the bars of the gate, and at the same time shaking it, as if he were on view in a Menagerie; “they’ve been here half an hour.”

“Who did you say?” asked Miss Lavinia.

“ Mr. and Mrs. Boffin ” returned the young man, rising into a roar.

Miss Lavinia tripped up the steps to the house-door, tripped down the steps with the key, tripped across the little garden, and opened the gate. “Please to walk in,” said Miss Lavinia, haughtily. “Our servant is out.”