The door was opened by a comely young woman, with ruddy cheeks and a bright kind eye that promised conversation. But "H'm," said I to myself, as she went to fetch my milk, "evidently not yours, my dear." 

 "A nice drying day for your washing," I said, as I slowly sipped my milk, with a half-inclination of my head towards the clothes-line. 

 "Very fine, indeed, sir," she returned, with something of a blush, and a shy deprecating look that seemed to beg me not to notice the peculiarly quaint antics which the wind, evidently a humourist, chose at that moment to execute with the female garments upon the line. However, I was for once cased in triple brass and inexorable. 

 "And who," I ventured, smiling, "may be the owner of those fine things?" 

 "Not those," I continued, pointing to an odd garment which the wind was wantonly puffing out in the quaintest way, "but that pretty petticoat and those silk stockings?" 

 The poor girl had gone scarlet, scarlet as the petticoat which I was sure WAS hers, with probably a fellow at the moment keeping warm her buxom figure. 

 "You are very bold, sir," she stammered through her blushes, but I could see that she was not ill-pleased that the finery should attract attention. 

 "But won't you tell me?" I urged; "I have a reason for asking." 

 And here I had better warn the reader that, as the result of a whim that presently seized me, I must be content to appear mad in his eyes for the next few pages, till I get an opportunity of explanation. 

 "Well, what if they should be mine?" at length I persuaded her into saying. 

 I made the obvious gallant reply, but, "All the same," I added, "you know they are not yours. They belong to some lady visitor, who, I'll be bound, isn't half so pretty; now, don't they?" 

 "Well, they just don't then. They're mine, as I tell you." 

 "H'm," I continued, a little nonplussed, "but do you really mean there is no lady staying with you?" 

 "Certainly," she replied, evidently enjoying my bewilderment. 

 "Well, then, some lady must have stayed here once," I retorted, with a sudden inspiration, "and left them behind—" 

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