There's one thing," he added, after a few moments' thought--"if she'd cut up rough over the letter, she might have called him Mr.Acton.

Hullo, here he comes!" As he spoke Acton emerged from the house, and came down the path towards them; his straw hat was tilted forward over his eyes, and his cheeks were glowing like the red glass of a dark-room lamp.

He sauntered along, kicking up the gravel with the toe of his boot.
"Well, what happened ?" inquired Jack Vance.
No answer.
"What's the matter ?" cried Diggory; "what did she say ?" "Why, this!" answered the other, in a voice trembling with suppressed emotion: "she said I was a silly boy, and--and--_gave me a lump of cake!_" If any one else had done it, the probability is Acton would have slain them on the spot.

Diggory opened his eyes and mouth wide, and then exploded with laughter.

"Oh my!" he gasped, "I shall die, I know I shall! Ha, ha, ha!" Acton eyed him for a moment with a look of indignant astonishment; then he began to smile, Jack Vance commenced to chuckle, and very soon all three were laughing in concert.
"Well, I think it's rather unfeeling of you fellows," said the rejected suitor; "I can tell you I'm jolly cut up about it." "I'm awfully sorry," answered Diggory, "but I couldn't help laughing.
Cheer up; why, think, you won't have to get the ring now, so you can do what you like with that five and ninepence you saved.