"Not so fast, Willy," said Harold, "you did not anticipate me in your marriage proposition, for I had already made up my mind to be married; indeed I had promised Maude I would."

"Oh, you had, eh ?" ejaculated Will, "then Maude has not only looked you out a wife, but got you to promise to marry her."

Yes," replied Harold," and now I come to think on't, it must be very pleasant living with a sweet little wife, and I am very glad I consented."

"Well," said Gregory, "since you are all bent on matrimony, I am glad I have consented, for when there's a chace I don't like to be out of the hunt. So Will, hurrah for a wife, boy! a good one and true." "And you all consent to be married on the same day as our sisters ?" asked Will, with sparkling eyes. "Yes," was the reply.

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"Hurrah!" cried Will, flinging up his cap. "Hurrah!” cried the brothers, laughing with great glee.

"I say, Robin," cried Will, "you have the credit of loving the women most truly."

"And so I do," replied he.

"Well, but don't you think I love them as much as you ?" inquired Will, looking steadfastly at him. 'I hope you do," he returned, smiling," ""for then they have a fast friend in you."

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Now, Will, don't forget us who have not found our own wives," said Egbert, "but be quick and bring us together, because I dare say the girls will like to say something to us before we marry.'

"There is not a doubt of that," uttered Will; 66 come along with me. I have a choice one for you, Egbert, already in my eye; and I think I know three others who will suit Gregory, Rupert, and Stephen." "Don't let mine be too old, Will, or too fat," suggested Rupert.

"I'll hit your taste, I warrant me," replied Will. "Come along, lads, it won't take us long to run over to the village, and then I'll introduce you; and those who can't make love for themselves, I'll do it for them."

"It is a pity you can't marry them for us," said Egbert, "you seem so pleased about it."

"Not half so pleased," rejoined Will," as you will be after you are married. Come along. I say, Robin, I told you I should be successful; you see I might have made my arrangements-those old proverbs are fudge, all that about cooking meat before you eat it, I don't believe a word of it. Now for the love making, ha ha ha!"

And taking the arm of his brother Gregory, for fear he might recede, he led the way, as merry and as happy as any one could well be, to a little village which was but a short distance from Barnsdale Hall. Leaving Robin to return to the house and communicate the intended addition of six couples to the marriage already about to take place, the brothers went along very jovially, and soon reached the village. Herbert disengaged himself from the party, and was speedily by the side of his ladye love; Harold, as soon as opportunity served, followed his example; and the four disengaged brothers grew anxious after that to be engaged as early as it could be accomplished. Accordingly, as the nearest lady Will had speculated upon for one of his brothers was the one destined for Egbert, he stopped there; and the lady being at home, he introduced his brother to her: she was a smiling, pleasing-faced lass, whose kind nature shone out in

her looks and words. Will became very eloquent on behalf of his brother, and she honestly confessed she perfectly agreed with him; he then eloquently enlarged upon the good qualities of his brother, quite raising an interest in her for him, and persuading her she could not do better than be married to him, and that if she consented, the sooner she fulfilled her promise the better. After exercising all the persuasive language he was master of, the lady, with a very great deal of blushing at the abrupt declaration made to her, gave every hope that the wishes of Will should be realised, and so he left Egbert to finish what he had so well begun. When they got out of the house, Stephen said

"I say, Will, I wish I could talk like you."

"So you might, if you were to try; nothing is so easy as to talk pleasantly to a female," observed Will; "it matters not what you say, you have only to speak in a kind tone, and look as kindly as you speak, and you are sure to please them."

"Is that all?" remarked Stephen. "Well, I think I can do that. But I say, Will, is the lady you've looked out for me as pleasant looking as Egbert's?"

"What is your taste?" asked Will, preparing, with the air of a connoisseur, to direct it, if he expressed an ignorance of what it should consist.

"Oh," said Stephen, "I am not very particular, something like Maude will do."

"Like Maude?" echoed Will, thunderstruck at the coolness with which Stephen made the remark; "something like Maude will do!" he reiterated, "I should think it would; a right modest remark, truly. Why, Stephen, there is not another like her in the world."

"Isn't there? Oh, I did not know that-how should I?" returned he, simply; "I have never travelled like you have, so I am not likely to know; only if you know any one of her sort now, I should like it better."

"No, nor I don't know any of her sort," he replied, half affronted at his brother's presumption. It was, however, but for a moment; he burst out into a laugh, and said, "I know better now what will please you, and will try if I can't satisfy you. You remember Minny Meadows, don't you?"

"Yes," said Stephen, thoughtfully, "a young girl with long dark hair and bright black eyes, used to laugh at me and pinch me, because she said I was so sleepy and dull. Oh, yes, I remember her. I liked her a little-I don't know why; only she was a lively little girl, always merry. I recollect once, when we were alone, she asked me if I had ever kissed a girl in my life."

"And what said you?" asked Will, laughing.

"I told her to be sure I had-I bad kissed both my sisters. She laughed at me, and asked if I had kissed no other female, and I said, 'Yes, my mother.'

"And didn't you kiss her ?" asked Will, in unaffected surprise.

"Kiss her!" echoed Stephen. "No, to be sure not; never thought of such a thing. When I said that, she laughed in my face, and was very merry." "Didn't she say anything?" asked Will. "No, nothing; but I think she called me a fool, and ran laughing away," concluded Stephen.

"So I should think," said Will. "Well, she is the lady I have marked out for your wife. Will she do?"

"Well, but what shall I say ?" inquired Stephen, impatiently. “Tell me, else you will forget it."

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Why, when you get alone with her, tell her you want to have a few lessons in kissing," said Will; "give her one, and ask her whether she does not think you will make a good pupil. My life on't, you will find plenty to talk about afterwards."

"Oh! but I don't like," said Stephen, fancying Will was advising rather too bold a step for one who was quite a novice in the art.

"Don't like!" reiterated Will, scornfully; "beshrew me, Stephen, an' I did not know you to be a stout woodsman, I should think you no better than a great girl dressed up."

"But suppose she shouldn't like it, and be offended?" asked Stephen.

"Why kiss her again, and tell her you will try and do it better until you please her," argued Will; "offended, too! as if kissing a girl could offend her. I never heard of any one yet who did not like kissing, provided the kiss was not given by one you couldn't fancy, and then, of course, that alters the case; but rest assured, Stephen, Minny would never have asked you that question if she had not fancied you: so you need not be afraid."

Stephen promised to pluck up heart and woo this Minny Meadows like a man, and Rupert wanted to know whether he couldn't stop with him to see how he did it, in order that when it came to his turn he might know how to go about it; but Will put a decided negative upon that request, and tried to explain how two were company and three none. Rupert did not exactly understand it, but was content to take Will's reasoning as law, and before the subject was finished they entered the cottage where dwelt Minny Meadows. Will, who was as busy as a bee on a blossom, and who doated upon his occupation, looked round for Minny as he entered. She was at home and alone.

"Ah, my pretty Minny, I am glad to find you. I wanted to see you very particularly," said he, approaching and taking her hand.

“I am glad I am so fortunate in being at home to meet you," she replied, dropping a curtsey.

"Yes," replied Will, "and I am not the only one who wants to see you particularly. My brother Stephen wants to say something to you of great importance."

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He does!" answered Minny, blushing up to the eyes suddenly. "What can he want to say to me particularly ?"

"I want to have," said Stephen, quickly, with a face as pale as death, and a beating heart-"I want to have a few lessons

"Hush!" said Will, laughing. "Don't be in such a confounded hurry, man. He will tell you presently, Minny, what he wants; in the meantime let me tell you what I want. You have heard my sisters are going to be married in three days' time ?"

"Oh, yes, and that you are going to have rare doings at the Hall," returned Minny.

Exactly, and we wish you very particularly to be there-mind, very particularly," said Will. "Thank you. I hope to come, certainly. I shall very much to come; all the village will be there,

like

I hear."

had no idea you would have been so anxious. You will bring your sweetheart, Minny ?"

"I haven't one to bring," she said, with a smile. "Do you mean that, Minny ?" asked Will, looking at her earnestly.

"Yes I do, indeed," she replied, blushing, and affecting a laugh; "I have not one I like well enough to call him a sweetheart."

"Oh," said Will, "I fancied you would have come with your sweetheart, and taking advantage of the ceremony being performed, have got married."

"Oh no," cried she, laughingly, "I have not one, I assure you, or there is no knowing what I might have done."

"Then I'll be your sweetheart," cried Stephen, with a sudden exertion of spirit, looking, with inflated nostrils, almost in a rage rather than affectionate. "Bravo!" cried Will, slapping him on the shoulder, "well said, Stephen! try again.'

"Yes," said Stephen, "I will, Minny, I'll be your sweetheart; and I'll come and fetch you to the Hall; and we'll be married at the same time my sisters

are.

Bravely said, Stephen!" exclaimed Will, "bravely said! There, Minny, there's an offer. Now let me tell you, that I will answer, by my honour, that he is sincere and in earnest. You tell me you are not engaged, and there is nothing so particularly ill-looking in Stephen that you should refuse him on that point, so you had better accept him; and as when you have made your mind up, there is no use in waiting a long time before you wed, why, I see nothing to prevent you marrying when Barby and Winny do. What do you say ?"

"Oh, dear me! you have taken me by surprise; I am so totally unprepared I don't know what to say," murmured Minny, looking terribly confused.

"Say you'll have me,' said Stephen, gathering courage from Will's applause, "I like you, Minny-Ï really do like you. I told you, Will, I did-didn't I ?” "That he did," said Will, putting in a good word or two for him.

"Yes," continued Stephen, "and I told him too, Minny, that you one day asked me if I had ever kis-"

"Oh, he told me almost as much as I dare say he will tell you while we are away," hastily interrupted Will. "" Come, Rupert and Gregory, let us begone; there is a great deal to do yet. We shall be sure to see you at the Hall, Minny?

"Oh, yes, I shall be sure to come," said the maiden, delightedly.

"And in your wedding dress. Maude is coming into the village this evening; she has a great deal of taste, and I'll recommend her to you," said Will, pressing Minny's hands. She held down her head, and Will continued, "If you don't persuade her, Stephen, to be a bride that morning, then you are no Gamwell."

"I'll try for it," said Stephen, coming out wonderfully, "for I'll talk in a kind tone to you, Minny, and I'll look at you kindly, and I'll kiss-I mean I'll squeeze your lips-no, I mean your hands-and perhaps I shall please you, and then you will like me ?"

"I can't say," said Minny, looking archly at him.

Well, I shall leave him to try and persuade you to love him, and that's better than liking," said Will, smiling; and taking his two brothers by the arm. "Adieu, my pretty sister Minny, that will be," he cried; "don't be too hard to be persuaded; he means kindly and lovingly, if he has not got the tongue to say so. Good-bye." So saying, he and his two brothers quitted the house.

"Now then," said Gregory, "where are our two

wives ?"

Why, they live close here," replied Will; "they are two cousins, Mabel and Editha Flowerfeld." "Oh, I know them well enough," said Gregory. "So do I," exclaimed Rupert.

"So you ought, for they are two pretty girls," returned Will," and you ought to know them a great deal better than I, who only came to Barnsdale scarce a year and a half agone; yet I would wager my best bow to a broken shaft, I know all in the village better than any of you."

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"That's very likely, you are such a fellow to skip about, and laugh and talk," returned Gregory, are none of us like you."

we

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"Well, what should I say? I don't understand what else I could say-I want her to marry me, and I say to her. Will you marry me? I can't say more or less," said the literal Gregory.

"That's all very well, but you must lead the conversation to it," exclaimed Will.

"How do you mean lead the conversation to it?" inquired Gregory.

"Do you remember I asked Minny Meadows to bring her sweetheart to the Hall?" said Will.

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"Yes," answered Gregory, "and she said she hadn't got one."

"Very well," returned Will, "and that gave an opportunity for Stephen to make her an offer."

"So it did!" ejaculated Rupert; "well, that's very strange; I shouldn't have thought of that."

"Ah! I see," exclaimed Gregory, thoughtfully, "getting a wife is like taking a deer, you must lay up for it if you wish to get it, for if you come plump on it suddenly, whisk! it's away, and it will be some time before you have another chance at it."

"True," replied Will; "bear that in mind, and you'll do. A woman is like a deer: she may be approached successfully with caution; but startle her by any abruptness, she flies off, and the odds are great that you do not get near her again in a hurry."

"Well," exclaimed Gregory, with determination, "I have laid up many a time for deer and been successful almost always; I'll lay up for Editha, and try if I can't be as lucky as heretofore."

"So will I for Mabel," said Rupert. "Come along, Will."

Away they went, and soon reached the Flowerfeld's abode. Editha and Mabel were there; they were lively, high-spirited girls, and quickly there was a great deal of banter and mirth going forward among them, their suitors, and Will. The latter enjoyed, with the greatest possible degree of glee, Gregory's method of laying up for Editha, as he called it. He began by taking advantage of the experience he had received that morning, and asked Editha quietly, whether she meant to bring her sweetheart with her, and she replied she would bring half a dozen. He was aghast at this, gave a long whistle, then turned round to Will and said

"I say, Will, that's a settler; half a dozen! that won't do, you know, eh? How about that ?"

Will laughed, and took up the cudgels in defence of Gregory, who was being belaboured with banter most soundly. He quickly satisfied Editha that one certain beau for an escort was better than half-a-dozen uncertain, and, by the same reasoning, one decided lover was better than a score of doubtful ones; and so clearly established in every point of view that, by accepting Gregory's offer, it was the very best thing possible she could do, that he obtained from her a consent to accompany Gregory to the Hall at all events; and it now only remained for Gregory to put all his persuasive powers into action, and persuade her when there to become his wife. In the warmth of their arguing, Rupert had been unnoticed; and when Will had brought the question to a satisfactory conclusion, he turned his attention to Rupert, to give him a helping hand if necessary, but he found him with the younger sister, Mabel, in a corner, in the very act of kissing her-an act which he disturbed by a very unceremonious and inconsiderate shout.

"Aha! Master Rupert," he cried, "you need no assistance from me. I hope you have prevailed upon Mabel to favour you with her company at the same time Editha accompanies Gregory to the Hall ?"

"I-yes-I only was asking Mabel to give me a few lessons in kissing, that was all," said Rupert, with a face like scarlet, and without understanding a word that Will had addressed to him, being horribly confused at being discovered.

"To be sure," answered Will, "and I have little doubt, Mabel, you will find him an apt pupil, one who will improve by practice; you don't answer, Mabel; never mind, I know you think so. Well, good-bye to you all; I am wanted at home, there are a great many things to be done which cannot proceed without my presence, and therefore I must be off. I shall see you all again soon,-good-bye ;" and without waiting for a reply off he ran. As he took his way to the Hall, he laughed till his sides ached at the scenes he had just witnessed, and enjoyed the idea of his six brothers being married altogether, four of them, at least, with only three days' courtship; simple men, too, who, passing their lives occupied in the duties of foresters, without having a thought about the fair sex, any farther than regarded the law they were bound to observe, imposed on them by Robin Hood, to respect them when and wherever they met with them; they, totally unused to the soft ways of winning a woman's love, with none but primitive ideas of the relation between man and woman as opposite sexes, with no more than a vague notion that the same style of conduct, the same language which suited their fellow men would not exactly do for the society of females; they, never having a second thought about being married, to be suddenly persuaded to such a step, to do it to time, too, and be successful, with young and comely maidens whom they had rarely seen, and never had any conversation approaching the nature of even flirting; there was something so ridiculous, so improbable, that Will would not have credited it, had he not only been prime mover, but eye witness in the whole transaction.

"Well," he cried, after indulging in a convulsion of laughter at the figure and mysterious movements his sedate brother, Gregory, made in his love essay; "well, we never know what we can do till we try."

Upon reaching the hall, he met Robin and Marian, and Maude, and related to them the occcurrences which had just transpired, and they indulged in great merriment over the affair. When the brothers returned, during the evening, at different times, they