"I see, dear mother, that you have the affairs of a nation on your
shoulders. I hope, for your health's sake, you have no other momentous
concerns to look after this morning," he said, playfully.

"One more, Walter; my goldfinch is half-starved, and the mocking-bird is
really on his dignity, because he has not had egg and lettuce for his
breakfast; but, _apropos_, what success had you with old Stillinghast?"

"Faith, mother, it is hard to tell. He is a tough personage to deal
with. I got in, however, and saw the two nieces."

"Well?"

"One of them is extremely beautiful. I shall have no objections to
making her Mrs. Jerrold, provided--"

"The old miser makes her his heiress," interrupted Mrs. Jerrold.

"Exactly. The other one is a nice, graceful, little thing, with _such_ a
pair of eyes! She has a spirit of her own, too, I fancy."

"I have been thinking over our plan to-day, and it really seems to be a
feasible one, Walter, if you can only win Mr. Stillinghast's confidence.
How do they live?"

"I presume they consider it comfortable;--it would be miserable to me.
The old man appeared quite flattered this morning, when I got him to
invest that money for me; and shook my hand warmly when I inveighed
against the present mania for speculating in fancy stocks."