All this time I had no opportunity of asking my Amelia for a sitting, but during luncheon I succeeded in finding one, and, after introducing the subject of photographs in general, I turned to her and said,

-Before the day is out, Miss Amelia, I hope to do myself the honour of coming to you for a negative.

With a sweet smile she replied ‘certainly, Mr. Tubbs. There is a cottage near here, that I wish you would try after luncheon, and when you've done that, I shall be at your service’.

‘Faix! an' I hope she'll give you a decoisive one!’ broke in that awkward Captain Flanaghan‘won't you, Mely Darlint?’ ‘I trust so, Captain Flanaghan,’ I interposed with great dignity; but all politeness is wasted on that animal; he broke into a great ‘haw! haw!’ and Amelia and I could hardly refrain from laughing at his folly. She, however, with ready tact turned it off, saying to the bear, ‘come, come, Captain, we mustn't be too hard on him!’ (Hard on me! on me! bless thee, Amelia!)