the progress which sly Perkins was making all this while; for Lucy
Gorgon did not think it was at all necessary to inform her Ladyship
how deeply she was smitten by the wicked young gentleman who had
made all the disturbance at the Oldborough ball.

The intimacy of these young persons had, in fact, become so close,
that on a certain sunshiny Sunday in December, after having
accompanied Aunt Biggs to church, they had pursued their walk as far
as that rendezvous of lovers, the Regent's Park, and were talking of
their coming marriage, with much confidential tenderness, before the
bears in the Zoological Gardens.

Miss Lucy was ever and anon feeding those interesting animals with
buns, to perform which act of charity she had clambered up on the
parapet which surrounds their den. Mr. Perkins was below; and Miss
Lucy, having distributed her buns, was on the point of
following,--but whether from timidity, or whether from a desire to
do young Perkins an essential service, I know not: however, she
found herself quite unwilling to jump down unaided.

"My dearest John," said she, "I never can jump that."

Whereupon John stepped up, put one hand round Lucy's waist; and as
one of hers gently fell upon his shoulder, Mr. Perkins took the
other and said,--

"Now jump."

Hoop! jump she did, and so excessively active and clever was Mr.
John Perkins, that he jumped Miss Lucy plump into the middle of a