"Oh! can engineers sing?"

Maxwell said a naughty word under his breath, and walked meekly to the piano beside her. Toby was in possession of the instrument, and was giving Miss Valpy selections from the latest London burlesque.

"This is the dance, you know," he said playing a breakdown; "and then comes the song 'Skip the gutter daddy, dear,'--a rippin' song."

"Sounds like it," said Maxwell, caustically; "so refined."

"Well, you needn't talk my boy, I've seen you enjoying it immensely."

Kaituna directed another look of scorn at the unhappy Maxwell, which inspired him with a vehement desire to break Toby's head. He refrained, however, and smiled in a sickly manner.

"I prefer Shakespeare," he said at length, telling the best lie he could under the circumstances.

"Dry old stick," observed Tommy, lightly. "There's no fun in him."

"But he's so high class."

"Listen to the virtuous one," said Clendon, scoffingly. "Oh, my gracious! that my boy should talk such jargon. You don't feel ill, do you, Archie?"

"No, I don't," retorted Archie, in a rage, seeing that Kaituna was enjoying this little dialogue with great zest. "I wish you'd be quiet and sing something."

"How can I be quiet and sing also?"

"Dosing, Mr. Clendon," said Kaituna, with a kind flash of her beautiful eyes at the happy bard.

Maxwell suppressed a second naughty word and sat down in dismal silence.

"What shall I sing?" asked Toby, running his fingers over the piano.

"Something funny."

"No, no! Something sentimental," said Kaituna, in a commanding tone, and sat down beside Miss Valpy.

Toby cleared his throat, looked up at the ceiling for inspiration, and laughed.

"I'll sing a betwixt and between thing."

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