32 MARTIN RATTLER.

“Then she’s cleverer than most people,” said Mr.
Jollyboy, shortly. “Is she obstinate ?”

“No, not in the least,” returned the vicar with a
puzzled smile.

“ Ah, well, good-bye, good-bye; that’s all I want
to know.”

Mr. Jollyboy rose, and hurrying through the vil-
lage tapped at the cottage door, and was soon closeted
with Mrs. Dorothy Grumbit. In the course of half-
an-hour, Mr. Jollyboy drew from Mrs. Grumbit as
much about her private affairs as he could, without
appearing rude. But he found the old lady very
close and sensitive on that point. Not so, however,
when he got her upon the subject of her nephew.
She had enough, and more than enough, to say about
him. It is true she began by remarking sadly that
he was a very bad boy; but as she continued to
talk about him, she somehow or other gave her
visitor the impression that he was a very good boy!
They had a wonderfully long and confidential tall
about Martin, during which Mr. Jollyboy struck Mrs.
Grumbit nearly dumb with horror by stating pos-
itively that he would do for the boy—he would
“send him to sea! Then, seeing that he had hit the
wrongest possible nail on the head, he said that he

would make the lad a clerk in his office, where he