"To marry you."
"Oh, only a week! La! that's long enough. I could see she was true blue, and as soft as rain. Bless her heart! I say, Archie, who'll we ask?"
"Well, I know a few good fellows——"
"Right. Let us have them. What's their names?"
Out came Bob's notebook, and down went a dozen names.
"That'll be ample," said Archie.
"Well," Bob acquiesced with a sigh, "I suppose it must. Now we're going to be spliced by special license, Sarah and I. None of your doing things by half. And Harry there is going to order the cabs and carriages, and favours and music, and the parson, and everything firstchop."
The idea of "ordering the parson" struck Archie as somewhat incongruous; but Bob had his own way of saying things, and it was evident he would have his own way in doing things too for once.
"And," continued Bob, "the ex-policeman's wife and I are going to buy the bonnie things to-morrow. And as for the 'bobby' himself, we'll have to send him away for the day. He is too fond of one thing, and would spoil the splore."
Next day sure enough Bob did start off with the "bobby's" wife to buy the bonnie things. A tall, handsome fellow Bob looked too; and the tailor having dona his best, he was altogether a dandy. He would persist in giving his mother, as he called her, his arm on the street, and the appearance of the pair of them caused a good many people to look after them and smile.