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 Century—not in Montevideo in the Nineteenth," said the Honorable John Ruffin in a reassuring tone.

"If you have a row with him, I'll never speak to you again! Never!" cried the Esmeralda in acute anxiety.

"It is my duty as a plain Englishman to bring you the head of that yellow dog on a charger—a charger of Sheffield plate, I think; for I can not run to gold; and my duty I must do," said the Honorable John Ruffin. "No, no, John; you mustn't interfere with him. You mustn't really," said the Esmeralda in a pleading tone; and she leaned forward with her hands clasped.

"But I don't want you to eat his head—it would be impossible indeed to make a brain sauce to go with it, owing to his unfortunate and disgraceful lack of brains. I only want you to have it as a table decoration," protested the Honorable John Ruffin earnestly. "I want to lay it on your lunch-table as a tribute to your all-conquering charm. It's a tribute paid to so few women in this milk and watery age. You'd feel immensely proud."

"Oh, there's no doing anything with you!" said