course he couldn't be under-gardener, and
be always about, in the summer-time, near
the windows on the lawn, a mowing, and
sweeping, and weeding, and pruning, and this
and that, without getting acquainted with
the ways of the family.—Even supposing
Master Harry hadn't come to him one morning
early, and said, " Cobbs, how should you
spell Norah, if you was asked? " and then
begun cutting it in print, all over the fence.

He couldn't say he had taken particular
notice of children before that; but, really it
was pretty to see them two mites a going
about the place together, deep in love. And
the courage of the boy! Bless your soul, he'd
have throwed off his little hat, and tucked
up his little sleeves, and gone in at a Lion, he
would, if they had happened to meet one and
she had been frightened of him. One day he
stops, along with her, where Boots was hoeing
weeds in the, gravel, and says—speaking up,
"Cobbs," he says, " I like you." " Do you,
sir? I'm proud to hear it." " Yes, I do,
Cobbs. Why do I like you, do you think,
Cobbs? " " Don't know, Master Harry, I am
sure." "Because Norah likes you, Cobbs."
Indeed, sir? That's very gratifying."
"Gratifying, Cobbs? It's better than millions of
the brightest diamonds, to be liked by Norah."
"Certainly, sir." " You're going away, ain't
you, Cobbs?" "Yes sir." "Would you
like another situation, Cobbs? " " Well, sir,
I shouldn't object, if it was a good 'un."
"Then, Cobbs," says he, "you shall be our
Head Gardener when we are married." And
he tucks her, in her little sky blue mantle,
under his arm, and walks away.

Boots could assure me that it was better
than a picter, and equal to a play, to see
them babies with their long bright curling
hair, their sparkling eyes, and their beautiful
light tread, a rambling about the garden,
deep in love. Boots was of opinion that the
birds believed they was birds, and kept up
with 'em, singing to please 'em. Sometimes,
they would creep under the Tulip-tree, and
would sit there with their arms round one
another's necks, and their soft cheeks touching,
a reading about the Prince, and the
Dragon, and the good and bad enchanters,
and the king's fair daughter. Sometimes, he
would hear them planning about having a
house in a forest, keeping bees and a cow,
and living entirely on milk and honey. Once,
he came upon them by the pond, and heard
Master Harry say, "Adorable Norah, kiss
me, and say you love me to distraction, or
I'll jump in head-foremost." And Boots
made no question he would have done it, if
she hadn't complied. On the whole, Boots
said it had a tendency to make him feel as
if he was in love himself—only he didn't
exactly know who with.

"Cobbs," said Master Harry, one evening,
when Cobbs was watering the flowers; " I
am going on a visit, this present Midsummer,
to my grandmamma's at York."

"Are you indeed, sir? I hope you'll have
a pleasant time. I am going into Yorkshire
myself, when I leave here."

"Are you going to your grandmamma's,
Cobbs?"

"No, sir. I haven't got such a thing."

"Not as a grandmamma, Cobbs?"

"No, sir."

The boy looked on at the watering of the
flowers, for a little while, and then said, " I
shall be very glad indeed to go, Cobbs—
Norah's going."

"You'll be all right then, sir," says Cobbs,
"with your beautiful sweetheart by your
side."

"Cobbs," returned the boy, flushing. " I
never let anybody joke about it, when I can
prevent them."

"It wasn't a joke, sir," says Cobbs with
humility, "—wasn't so meant."

"I am glad of that, Cobbs, because I like
you, you know, and you're going to live with
us.—Cobbs!"

"Sir."

"What do you think my grandmamma
gives me, when I go down there?"

"I couldn't so much as make a guess, sir."

"A Bank of England five-pound note,
Cobbs."

"Whew! " says Cobbs, " that's a spanking
sum of money, Master Harry."

"A person could do a good deal with such
a sum of money as that. Couldn't a person,
Cobbs?"

"I believe you, sir!"

"Cobbs," said the boy, "I'll tell you a secret.
At Norah's house, they have been joking her
about me, and pretending to laugh at our
being engaged. Pretending to make game
of it, Cobbs!"

"Such, sir," says Cobbs, " is the depravity
of human natur."

The boy, looking exactly like his father,
stood for a few minutes with his glowing face
towards the sunset, and then departed with
"Good-night, Cobbs. I'm going in."

If I was to ask Boots how it happened
that he was a going to leave that place just
at that present time, well, he couldn't rightly
answer me. He did suppose he might have
stayed there till now, if he had been anyways
inclined. But, you see, he was younger then
and he wanted change. That's what he
wanted—change. Mr. Walmers, he said,
to him when he give him notice of his
intentions to leave, " Cobbs," he says, " have
you anythink to complain of? I make the
inquiry, because if I find that any of my
people really has anythink to complain of, I
wish to make it right if I can." " No, sir,"
says Cobbs; "thanking you, sir, I find myself
as well sitiwated here as I could hope to be
anywheres. The truth is, sir, that I'm a
going to seek my fortun." " O, indeed,
Cobbs? " he says; " I hope you may find it."
And Boots could assure me—which he did,
touching his hair with his boot-jack, as a