Iain’tanAnarchist。\"
ThePrince，byamusculareffort，retiredsomefourorfiveinchesandcommencedtorebuttonhiswaistcoat。
\"Howdidyougethere？\"askedthePrince。
\"’TwasabiggerjobthanI’dreckonedon，\"admittedTommy，seekingadryinchinthesmearedhandkerchief，andfindingnone。\"Butthatdon’tmatter，\"addedTommycheerfully，\"nowI’mhere。\"
\"IfyoudonotwishmetohandyouovertothepoliceatSouthampton，youhadbetteranswermyquestions，\"remarkedthePrincedrily。
Tommywasnotafraidofprinces，butinthelexiconofherharassedyouth\"Police\"hadalwaysbeenawordofdread。
\"Iwantedtogetatyou。\"
\"Igatherthat。\"
\"Theredidn’tseemanyotherway。It’sjollydifficulttogetatyou。You’resojollyartful。\"
\"Tellmehowyoumanagedit。\"
\"There’salittlebridgeforsignalsjustoutsideWaterloo。I
couldseethatthetrainwouldhavetopassunderit。SoIclimbedupandwaited。Itbeingafoggynight，yousee，nobodytwiggedme。
Isay，youarePrinceBlank，ain’tyou？\"
\"IamPrinceBlank。\"
\"ShouldhavebeenmadifI’dlandedthewrongman。\"
\"Goon。\"
\"Iknewwhichwasyourcarriage——leastways，Iguessedit;andasitcamealong，Ididadrop。\"Tommyspreadoutherarmsandlegstoillustratetheaction。\"Thelamps，youknow，\"explainedTommy，stilldabbingatherface——\"oneofthemcaughtme。\"
\"Andfromtheroof？\"
\"Oh，well，itwaseasyafterthat。There’sanironthingattheback，andsteps。You’veonlygottowalkdownstairsandroundthecorner，andthereyouare。Bitofluckyourotherdoornotbeinglocked。Ihadn’tthoughtofthat。Haven’tgotsuchathingasahandkerchiefaboutyou，haveyou？\"
ThePrincedrewonefromhissleeveandpassedittoher。\"Youmeantotellme，boy——\"
\"Ain’taboy，\"explainedTommy。\"I’magirl！\"
Shesaiditsadly。Deeminghernewfriendssuchascouldbetrusted，Tommyhadacceptedtheirstatementthatshereallywasagirl。Butformanyalongyeartocomethethoughtofherlostmanhoodtingedhervoicewithbitterness。
\"Agirl！\"
Tommynoddedherhead。
\"Umph！\"saidthePrince;\"IhaveheardagooddealabouttheEnglishgirl。Iwasbeginningtothinkitexaggerated。Standup。\"
Tommyobeyed。Itwasnotaltogetherherway;butwiththoseeyesbeneaththeirshaggybrowsbentuponher，itseemedthesimplestthingtodo。
\"So。Andnowthatyouarehere，whatdoyouwant？\"
\"Tointerviewyou。\"
Tommydrewforthherlistofquestions。
Theshaggybrowscontracted。
\"Whoputyouuptothisabsurdity？Whowasit？Tellmeatonce。\"
\"Nobody。\"
\"Don’tlietome。Hisname？\"
Theterrible，smalleyesflashedfire。ButTommyalsohadapairofeyes。Beforetheirblazeofindignationthegreatmanpositivelyquailed。Thistypeofopponentwasnewtohim。
\"I’mnotlying。\"
\"Ibegyourpardon，\"saidthePrince。
AndatthispointitoccurredtothePrince，whobeingreallyagreatman，hadnaturallyasenseofhumour，thataconferenceconductedontheselinesbetweentheleadingstatesmanofanEmpireandanimpertinenthussyof，say，twelveyearsoldattheoutside，mightendbybecomingridiculous。SothePrincetookuphischairandputitdownagainbesideTommy’s，andemployingskilfullyhisundoubteddiplomaticgifts，drewfromherbitbybitthewholestory。
\"I’minclined，MissJane，\"saidtheGreatMan，thestoryended，\"toagreewithourfriendMr。Hope。Ishouldsayyourmetierwasjournalism。\"
\"Andyou’llletmeinterviewyou？\"askedTommy，showingherwhiteteeth。
TheGreatMan，layingahandheavierthanheguessedonTommy’sshoulder，rose。\"Ithinkyouareentitledtoit。\"
\"What’syourviews？\"demandedTommy，reading，\"ofthefuturepoliticalandsocialrelationships——\"
\"Perhaps，\"suggestedtheGreatMan，\"itwillbesimplerifIwriteitmyself。\"
\"Well，\"concurredTommy;\"myspellingisabitrocky。\"
TheGreatMandrewachairtothetable。
\"Youwon’tmissoutanything——willyou？\"insistedTommy。
\"Ishallendeavour，MissJane，togiveyounocauseforcomplaint，\"
gravelyheassuredher，andsatdowntowrite。
NottillthetrainbegantoslackenspeedhadthePrincefinished。
Then，blottingandrefoldingthepaper，hestoodup。
\"Ihaveaddedsomeinstructionsonthebackofthelastpage，\"
explainedthePrince，\"towhichyouwilldrawMr。Hope’sparticularattention。Iwouldwishyoutopromiseme，MissJane，neveragaintohaverecoursetodangerousacrobatictricks，noteveninthesacredcauseofjournalism。\"
\"Ofcourse，ifyouhadn’tbeensojollydifficulttogetat——\"
\"Myfault，Iknow，\"agreedthePrince。\"Thereisnottheleastdoubtastowhichsexyoubelongto。Nevertheless，Iwantyoutopromiseme。Come，\"urgedthePrince，\"Ihavedoneagooddealforyou——morethanyouknow。\"
\"Allright，\"consentedTommyalittlesulkily。Tommyhatedmakingpromises，becauseshealwayskeptthem。\"Ipromise。\"
\"ThereisyourInterview。\"ThefirstSouthamptonplatformlampshoneinuponthePrinceandTommyastheystoodfacingoneanother。ThePrince，whohadacquiredthereputation，notaltogetherunjustly，ofanill—temperedandsavageoldgentleman，didastrangething：takingthelittle，blood—smearedfacebetweenhispaws，hekissedit。Tommyalwaysrememberedthesmokyflavourofthebristlygreymoustache。
\"Onethingmore，\"saidthePrincesternly——\"notawordofallthis。
Don’topenyourmouthtospeakofittillyouarebackinGoughSquare。\"
\"Doyoutakemeforamug？\"answeredTommy。
TheybehavedveryoddlytoTommyafterthePrincehaddisappeared。
Everybodytookadealoftroubleforher，butnoneofthemseemedtoknowwhytheyweredoingit。Theylookedatherandwentaway，andcameagainandlookedather。Andthemoretheythoughtaboutit，themorepuzzledtheybecame。Someofthemaskedherquestions，butwhatTommyreallydidn’tknow，addedtowhatshedidn’tmeantotell，wassoprodigiousthatCuriosityitselfpaledatcontemplationofit。
Theywashedandbrushedherupandgaveheranexcellentsupper;
andputtingherintoafirst—classcompartmentlabelled\"Reserved，\"
sentherbacktoWaterloo，andthenceinacabtoGoughSquare，whereshearrivedaboutmidnight，sufferingfromasenseofself—
importance，tracesofwhichtothisdayarestilldiscernible。
Suchandthuswasthebeginningofallthings。Tommy，havingtalkedforhalfanhourattherateoftwohundredwordsaminute，hadsuddenlydroppedherheaduponthetable，hadbeenarousedwithdifficultyandpersuadedtogotobed。Peter，inthedeepeasy—
chairbeforethefire，satlongintothenight。Elizabeth，likingquietcompany，purredsoftly。OutoftheshadowscrepttoPeterHopeanoldforgottendream——thedreamofawonderfulnewJournal，priceonepennyweekly，ofwhichtheEditorshouldcometobeoneThomasHope，sonofPeterHope，itshonouredFounderandOriginator：apowerfulJournalthatshouldsupplyalong—feltwant，popular，butatthesametimeelevating——apleasuretothepublic，aprofittoitsowners。\"Doyounotrememberme？\"
whisperedtheDream。\"Wehadlongtalkstogether。Themorningandthenoondaypass。Theeveningstillisours。Thetwilightalsobringsitspromise。\"
Elizabethstoppedpurringandlookedupsurprised。Peterwaslaughingtohimself。
STORYTHESECOND——WilliamCloddappointshimselfManagingDirectorMrs。PostwhistlesatonaWindsor—chairinthecentreofRollsCourt。Mrs。Postwhistle，who，inthedaysofherHebehood，hadbeenlikenedbyadmiringfrequentersoftheoldMitreinChanceryLanetotheladies，somewhatemaciated，thatanEnglishartist，sincebecomefamous，wasthencommencingtopopularise，haddevelopedwiththepassingyears，yetstillretainedafaceofplacidyouthfulness。Thetwofacts，takeninconjunction，hadresultedinanassettoherincomenottobedespised。ThewandererthroughRollsCourtthissummer’safternoon，presuminghimtobefamiliarwithcurrentjournalism，wouldhaveretiredhauntedbythesensethattherestful—lookingladyontheWindsor—chairwassomeonethatheoughttoknow。Glancingthroughalmostanyillustratedpaperoftheperiod，theproblemwouldhavebeensolvedforhim。AphotographofMrs。Postwhistle，takenquiterecently，hewouldhaveencounteredwiththislegend：\"BEFOREuseofProfessorHardtop’scertaincureforcorpulency。\"BesideitaphotographofMrs。Postwhistle，thenArabellaHiggins，takentwentyyearsago，thelegendslightlyvaried：\"AFTERuse，\"etc。Thefacewasthesame，thefigure——therewasnodenyingit——hadundergonedecidedalteration。
Mrs。PostwhistlehadreachedwithherchairthecentreofRollsCourtincourseoffollowingthesun。Thelittleshop，overthelintelofwhichran：\"TimothyPostwhistle，GrocerandProvisionMerchant，\"shehadleftbehindherintheshadow。OldinhabitantsofSt。Dunstan—in—the—Westretainedrecollectionofagentlemanlyfigure，alwaysinaverygorgeouswaistcoat，withDundrearywhiskers，tobeseenoccasionallytherebehindthecounter。Allcustomersitwouldrefer，withtheairofaLordHighChamberlainintroducingdebutantes，toMrs。Postwhistle，evidentlyregardingitselfpurelyasornamental。Forthelasttenyears，however，noonehadnoticeditthere，andMrs。Postwhistlehadafacilityamountingalmosttogeniusforignoringormisunderstandingquestionsitwasnottohertastetoanswer。Mostthingsweresuspected，nothingknown。St。Dunstan—in—the—Westhadturnedtootherproblems。
\"IfIwasn’twantingtosee’im，\"remarkedtoherselfMrs。
Postwhistle，whowasknittingwithoneeyeupontheshop，\"’e’dabeen’ere’foreI’d’adtimetoclearthedinnerthingsaway;
certainto’avebeen。It’sastrangeworld。\"
Mrs。PostwhistlewasdesirousforthearrivalofagentlemannotusuallyawaitedwithimpatiencebytheladiesofRollsCourt——towit，oneWilliamClodd，rent—collector，whosedayforSt。Dunstan—
in—the—WestwasTuesday。
\"Atlast，\"saidMrs。Postwhistle，thoughwithouthopethatMr。
Clodd，whohadjustappearedattheotherendofthecourt，couldpossiblyhearher。\"Wasbeginningtobeafraidasyou’dtumbledoveryerselfinyour’urryand’urtyerself。\"
Mr。Clodd，perceivingMrs。Postwhistle，decidedtoabandonmethodandtakeNo。7first。
Mr。Cloddwasashort，thick—set，bullet—headedyoungman，withwaysthatwerebustling，andeyesthat，thoughkind，suggestedtrickiness。
\"Ah！\"saidMr。Cloddadmiringly，ashepocketedthesixhalf—crownsthattheladyhandeduptohim。\"Ifonlytheywerealllikeyou，Mrs。Postwhistle！\"
\"Wouldn’tbenoneedofchapslikeyoutoworry’em，\"pointedoutMrs。Postwhistle。
\"It’sanironyoffate，mybeingarent—collector，whenyoucometothinkofit，\"remarkedMr。Clodd，writingoutthereceipt。\"IfI
hadmyway，I’dputanendtolandlordism，rootandbranch。Curseofthecountry。\"
\"JusttheverythingIwantedtotalktoyouabout，\"returnedthelady——\"thatlodgero’mine。\"
\"Ah！don’tpay，don’the？Youjusthandhimovertome。I’llsoonhaveitoutofhim。\"
\"It’snotthat，\"explainedMrs。Postwhistle。\"IfaSaturdaymorning’appenedtocomeroundas’edidn’tpayupwithoutmeasking，IshouldknowI’dmadeamistake——thatitmustbeFriday。
IfIdon’t’appentobeinat’alf—pastten，’eputsitinanenvelopeandleavesitonthetable。\"
\"Wonderifhismotherhasgotanymorelikehim？\"musedMr。Clodd。
\"Coulddowithafewaboutthisneighbourhood。Whatisityouwanttosayabouthim，then？Merelytobragabouthim？\"
\"Iwantedtoaskyou，\"continuedMrs。Postwhistle，\"’owIcouldgetridof’im。Itwasratheracuriousagreement。\"
\"Whydoyouwanttogetridofhim？Toonoisy？\"
\"Noisy！Why，thecatmakesmorenoiseaboutthe’ousethan’edoes。’E’dmake’isfortuneasaburglar。\"
\"Comehomelate？\"
\"Neverknown’imoutaftertheshuttersareup。\"
\"Givesyoutoomuchtroublethen？\"
\"Ican’tsaythatof’im。Neverknowwhether’e’sinthe’ouseorisn’t，withoutgoingupstairsandknockingatthedoor。\"
\"Here，youtellityourownway，\"suggestedthebewilderedClodd。
\"Ifitwasanyoneelsebutyou，Ishouldsayyoudidn’tknowyourownbusiness。\"
\"’Egetsonmynerves，\"saidMrs。Postwhistle。\"Youain’tina’urryforfiveminutes？\"
Mr。Cloddwasalwaysinahurry。\"ButIcanforgetittalkingtoyou，\"addedthegallantMr。Clodd。
Mrs。Postwhistleledthewayintothelittleparlour。
\"Justthenameofit，\"consentedMr。Clodd。\"Cheerfulnesscombinedwithtemperance;that’stheideal。\"
\"I’lltellyouwhat’appenedonlylastnight，\"commencedMrs。
Postwhistle，seatingherselftheoppositesideoftheloo—table。
\"Alettercamefor’imbytheseveno’clockpost。I’dseen’imgoouttwohoursbefore，andthoughI’dbeensittingintheshopthewholeblessedtime，Ineversawor’eard’impassthrough。E’slikethat。It’slike’avingaghostforalodger。Iopened’isdoorwithoutknockingandwentin。Ifyou’llbelieveme，’ewasclingingwith’isarmsandlegstothetopofthebedstead——it’soneofthoseold—fashioned，four—postthings——’is’eadtouchingtheceiling。’E’adn’tgottoomuchclotheson，andwascrackingnutswith’isteethandeating’em。’Ethrewa’andfulofshellsatme，andmakingthemostawfulfacesatme，startedoffgibberingsoftlytohimself。\"
\"Allplay，Isuppose？Norealvice？\"commentedtheinterestedMr。
Clodd。
\"Itwillgoonforaweek，thatwill，\"continuedMrs。Postwhistle——
\"’efancying’imselfamonkey。Lastweekhewasatortoise，andwascrawlingaboutonhisstomachwithatea—traytiedonto’isback。’E’sassensibleasmostmen，ifthat’ssayingmuch，themoment’e’soutsidethefrontdoor;butinthe’ouse——well，I
supposethefactisthat’e’salunatic。\"
\"Don’tseemnohidinganythingfromyou，\"Mrs。PostwhistleremarkedMr。Cloddintonesofadmiration。\"Doesheevergetviolent？\"
\"Don’tknowwhat’ewouldbelikeif’e’appenedtofancy’imselfsomethingreallydangerous，\"answeredMrs。Postwhistle。\"Iamabitnervousofthisnewmonkeygame，Idon’tmindconfessingtoyou——thethingsthattheydoaccordingtothepicture—books。Uptonow，exceptforimagining’imselfamole，andtakingallhismealsunderneaththecarpet，it’sbeenmostlybirdsandcatsand’armlesssorto’thingsI’aven’tseemedtomindsomuch。\"
\"Howdidyougetholdofhim？\"demandedMr。Clodd。\"Havemuchtroubleinfindinghim，ordidsomebodycomeandtellyouabouthim？\"
\"OldGladman，ofChanceryLane，thelawstationer，brought’im’ereoneeveningabouttwomonthsago——said’ewasasortofdistantrelativeof’is，abitsoftinthe’ead，butperfectly’armless——
wantedtoput’imwithsomeonewhowouldn’timposeon’im。Well，whatbetween’avingbeenemptyforoverfiveweeks，thepooroldgaby’imselflookingasgentleasalamb，andthefigurebeingreasonable，Iratherjumpedattheidea;andoldGladman，explainingas’ow’ewantedthethingsettledanddonewith，gotmetosignaletter。\"
\"Keptacopyofit？\"askedthebusiness—likeClodd。
\"No。ButIcanrememberwhatitwas。Gladman’aditallready。
Solongasthemoneywaspaidpunctualand’edidn’tmakenodisturbanceanddidn’tfallsick，Iwastogoonboardingandlodging’imforseventeen—and—sixpenceaweek。Itdidn’tstrikemeasanythingtobeobjectedtoatthetime;but’epayin’regular，asI’veexplainedtoyou，andbe’aving，sofarasdisturbanceisconcerned，morelikeaChristianmartyrthanaman，well，itlookstomeasifI’dgottoliveanddiewith’im。\"
\"Givehimrope，andpossiblyhe’llhaveaweekatbeingahowlinghyaena，oralaughingjackass，orsomethingofthatsortthatwillleadtoadisturbance，\"thoughtMr。Clodd，\"inwhichcase，ofcourse，youwouldhaveyourremedy。\"
\"Yes，\"thoughtMrs。Postwhistle，\"andpossiblyalso’emaytakeitintowhat’ecallsis’eadtobeatigerorabull，andthenperhapsbefore’e’sthroughwithitI’llbebeyondthereachofremedies。\"
\"Leaveittome，\"saidMr。Clodd，risingandsearchingforhishat。
\"IknowoldGladman;I’llhaveatalkwithhim。\"
\"Youmightgetalookatthatletterifyoucan，\"suggestedMrs。
Postwhistle，\"andtellmewhatyouthinkaboutit。Idon’twanttospendtherestofmydaysinalunaticasylumofmyownifIcan’elpit。\"
\"Youleaveittome，\"wasMr。Clodd’spartingassurance。
TheJulymoonhadthrownasilverveiloverthegrimnessofRollsCourtwhen，fivehourslater，Mr。Clodd’snailedbootsechoedagainuponitsunevenpavement;butMr。Cloddhadnoeyeformoonorstarsorsuch—like;alwayshehadthingsmoreimportanttothinkof。
\"Seentheold’umbug？\"askedMrs。Postwhistle，whowaspartialtotheair，leadingthewayintotheparlour。
\"Firstandforemostcommenced，\"Mr。Clodd，ashelaidasidehishat，\"itisquiteunderstoodthatyoureallydowanttogetridofhim？What’sthat？\"demandedMr。Clodd，aheavythuduponthefloorabovehavingcausedhimtostartoutofhischair。
\"’Ecameinanhourafteryou’dgone，\"explainedMrs。Postwhistle，\"bringingwithhimacurtainpoleas’e’dpickedupforashillinginClareMarket。’E’srestedoneenduponthemantelpieceandtiedtheothertothebackoftheeasy—chair——’isideaistotwine’imselfrounditandgotosleepuponit。Yes，you’vegotitquiterightwithoutasingleblunder。Idowanttogetridof’im\"
\"Then，\"saidMr。Clodd，reseatinghimself，\"itcanbedone。\"
\"ThankGodforthat！\"wasMrs。Postwhistle’spiousejaculation。
\"ItisjustasIthought，\"continuedMr。Clodd。\"Theoldinnocent—
—he’sGladman’sbrother—in—law，bytheway——hasgotasmallannuity。Icouldn’tgettheactualfigure，butIguessit’saboutsufficienttopayforhiskeepandleaveoldGladman，whoisrunninghim，averydecentprofit。Theydon’twanttosendhimtoanasylum。Theycan’tsayhe’sapauper，andtoputhimintoaprivateestablishmentwouldswallowup，mostlikely，thewholeofhisincome。Ontheotherhand，theydon’twantthebotheroflookingafterhimthemselves。Italkedprettystraighttotheoldman——lethimseeIunderstoodthebusiness;and——well，tocutalongstoryshort，I’mwillingtotakeonthejob，providedyoureallywanttohavedonewithit，andGladmaniswillinginthatcasetoletyouoffyourcontract。\"
Mrs。PostwhistlewenttothecupboardtogetMr。Cloddadrink。
Anotherthuduponthefloorabove——onesuggestiveofexceptionalvelocity——arrivedattheprecisemomentwhenMrs。Postwhistle，thetumblerlevelwithhereye，wasintheactofmeasuring。
\"Icallthismakingadisturbance，\"saidMrs。Postwhistle，regardingthebrokenfragments。
\"It’sonlyforanothernight，\"comfortedherMr。Clodd。\"I’lltakehimawaysometimeto—morrow。Meanwhile，ifIwereyou，IshouldspreadamattressunderneaththatperchofhisbeforeIwenttobed。Ishouldlikehimhandedovertomeinreasonablerepair。\"
\"Itwilldeadenthesoundabit，any’ow，\"agreedMrs。Postwhistle。
\"Successtotemperance，\"drankMr。Clodd，androsetogo。
\"Itakeityou’vefixedthingsupallrightforyourself，\"saidMrs。Postwhistle;\"andnobodycanblameyouifyou’ave。’Eavenblessyou，iswhatIsay。\"
\"Weshallgetontogether，\"prophesiedMr。Clodd。\"I’mfondofanimals。\"
Earlythenextmorningafour—wheeledcabdrewupattheentrancetoRollsCourt，andinitanduponitwentawayCloddandClodd’sLunatic（asafterwardshecametobeknown），togetherwithallthebelongingsofClodd’sLunatic，thecurtain—poleincluded;andthereappearedagainbehindthefanlightofthelittlegrocer’sshoptheintimation：\"LodgingsforaSingleMan，\"whichcaughttheeyeafewdayslaterofaweird—looking，lanky，rawbonedladdie，whoselanguageMrs。Postwhistlefounddifficultyforatimeincomprehending;andthatiswhyonesometimesmeetsto—dayworshippersofKailYardliteraturewanderingdisconsolatelyaboutSt。Dunstan—in—the—West，seekingRollsCourt，discomfortedbecauseitisnomore。Butthatisthehistoryofthe\"WeeLaddie，\"andthisofthebeginningsofWilliamClodd，nowSirWilliamClodd，Bart。，M。P。，proprietorofaquarterofahundrednewspapers，magazines，andjournals：\"TruthfulBilly\"wecalledhimthen。
NoonecansayofCloddthathedidnotdeservewhateverprofithisunlicensedlunaticasylummayhavebroughthim。AkindlymanwasWilliamCloddwhenindulgenceinsentimentdidnotinterferewithbusiness。
\"There’snoharminhim，\"assertedMr。Clodd，talkingthematteroverwithoneMr。PeterHope，journalist，ofGoughSquare。\"He’sjustabitdotty，sameasyouorImightgetwithnothingtodoandalldaylongtodoitin。Kid’splay，that’sallitis。Thebestplan，Ifind，istotreatitasagameandtakeahandinit。Lastweekhewantedtobealion。Icouldseethatwasgoingtobeawkward，heroaringforrawmeatandthinkingtoprowlaboutthehouseatnight。Well，Ididn’tnaghim——that’snogood。Ijustgotagunandshothim。He’saducknow，andI’mtryingtokeephimone：sitsforanhourbesidehisbathonthreechinaeggsI’veboughthim。Wishsomeofthesaneoneswereaslittletrouble。\"
Thesummercameagain。CloddandhisLunatic，amild—lookinglittleoldgentlemanofsomewhatclericalcut，oneoftenmetwitharm—in—arm，bustlingaboutthestreetsandcourtsthatwerethesceneofClodd’srent—collectinglabours。Theirevidentattachmenttooneanotherwascuriouslydisplayed;Clodd，theyoungandred—
haired，treatinghiswhite—haired，witheredcompanionwithfatherlyindulgence;theotherglancingupfromtimetotimeintoClodd’sfacewithawinningexpressionofinfantileaffection。
\"Wearegettingmuchbetter，\"explainedClodd，thepairmeetingPeterHopeonedayatthecornerofNewcastleStreet。\"Themoreweareoutintheopenair，andthemorewehavetodoandthinkabout，thebetterforus——eh？\"
Themild—lookinglittleoldgentlemanhangingonClodd’sarmsmiledandnodded。
\"Betweenourselves，\"addedMr。Clodd，sinkinghisvoice，\"wearenothalfasfoolishasfolksthinkweare。\"
PeterHopewenthiswaydowntheStrand。
\"Clodd’sagoodsort——agoodsort，\"saidPeterHope，who，havinginhistimelivedmuchalone，hadfallenintothehabitofspeakinghisthoughtsaloud;\"buthe’snotthemantowastehistime。I
wonder。\"
WiththewinterClodd’sLunaticfellill。
CloddbustledroundtoChanceryLane。
\"Totellyouthetruth，\"confessedMr。Gladman，\"weneverthoughthewouldlivesolongashehas。\"
\"There’stheannuityyou’vegottothinkof，\"saidClodd，whomhisadmirersofto—day（andtheyaremany，forhemustbeamillionairebythistime）arefondofalludingtoas\"thatfrank，outspokenEnglishman。\"\"Wouldn’titbeworthyourwhiletotrywhattakinghimawayfromthefogsmightdoforhim？\"
OldGladmanseemedinclinedtoconsiderthequestion，butMrs。
Gladman，abrisk，cheerfullittlewoman，hadmadeuphermind。
\"We’vehadwhatthereistohave，\"saidMrs。Gladman。\"He’sseventy—three。What’sthesenseofriskinggoodmoney？Becontent。\"
Noonecouldsay——nooneeverdidsay——thatClodd，underthecircumstances，didnotdohisbest。Perhaps，afterall，nothingcouldhavehelped。Thelittleoldgentleman，atClodd’ssuggestion，playedatbeingadormouseandlayverystill。Ifhegrewrestless，therebybringingonhiscough，Clodd，asaterribleblackcat，waswatchingtopounceuponhim。OnlybykeepingveryquietandartfullypretendingtobeasleepcouldhehopetoescapetheruthlessClodd。
DoctorWilliamSmith（neWilhelmSchmidt）shruggedhisfatshoulders。\"Wecandonoding。Desefogsofours：idisdeonetingdatenablestheforeignertocrowoverus。Keephimquiet。
Dedormouse——idisagootidea。\"
ThateveningWilliamCloddmountedtothesecondfloorof16，GoughSquare，wheredwelthisfriend，PeterHope，andknockedbrisklyatthedoor。
\"Comein，\"saidadecidedvoice，whichwasnotPeterHope’s。
Mr。WilliamClodd’sambitionwas，andalwayshadbeen，tobetheownerorpart—ownerofapaper。To—day，asIhavesaid，heownsaquarterofahundred，andisinnegotiation，sorumourgoes，forsevenmore。Buttwentyyearsago\"CloddandCo。，Limited，\"wasbutinembryo。AndPeterHope，journalist，hadlikewiseandformanyalongyearcherishedtheambitiontobe，beforehedied，theownerorpart—ownerofapaper。PeterHopeto—dayownsnothing，exceptperhapstheknowledge，ifsuchthingsbepermitted，thatwheneverandwhereverhisnameismentioned，kindthoughtsariseunbidden——
thatsomeoneofthepartywillsurelysay：\"DearoldPeter！Whatagoodfellowhewas！\"Whichalsomaybeinitswayavaluablepossession：whoknows？ButtwentyyearsagoPeter’shorizonwaslimitedbyFleetStreet。
PeterHopewasforty—seven，sohesaid，adreamerandascholar。
WilliamCloddwasthree—and—twenty，abornhustler，verywideawake。Meetingonedaybyaccidentuponanomnibus，whenCloddlentPeter，whohadcomeoutwithouthispurse，threepencetopayhisfarewith;driftingintoacquaintanceship，eachhadcometoacquirealikingandrespectfortheother。ThedreamerthoughtwithwonderofClodd’sshrewdpracticability;thecuteyoungmanofbusinesswaslostinadmirationofwhatseemedtohimhisoldfriend’smarvellouslearning。BothhadarrivedattheconclusionthataweeklyjournalwithPeterHopeaseditor，andWilliamCloddasmanager，wouldbeboundtobesuccessful。
\"Ifonlywecouldscrapetogetherathousandpounds！\"hadsighedPeter。
\"Themomentwelayourhandsuponthecoin，we’llstartthatpaper。
Remember，it’sabargain，\"hadansweredWilliamClodd。
Mr。WilliamCloddturnedthehandleandwalkedin。Withthedoorstillinhishandhepausedtolookroundtheroom。Itwasthefirsttimehehadseenit。HismeetingshithertowithPeterHopehadbeenchancerencontresinstreetorrestaurant。Alwayshadhebeencurioustoviewthesanctuaryofsomucherudition。
Alarge，oak—panelledroom，itsthreehighwindows，eachwithalow，cushionedseatbeneathit，givingontoGoughSquare。Thirty—
fiveyearsbefore，PeterHope，thenayoungdandywithsidewhiskersclose—croppedandterminatingjustbelowtheear;withwavy，brownhair，givingtohisfresh—complexionedfaceanappearancealmostgirlish;incut—awaybluecoat，floweredwaistcoat，blacksilkcravatsecuredbytwogoldpinschainedtogether，andtightlystrappedgreytrouserings，had，aidedandabettedbyafragilelittleladyincrinolineandmuch—flouncedskirt，andbodicesomewhatlow，withcorkscrewcurlseachmovementofherheadsetringing，plannedandfurnisheditinaccordancewiththesobercanonstheninvogue，spendingthereuponmorethantheyshould，asistobeexpectedfromtheyoungtowhomthefuturepromisesallthings。ThefineBrusselscarpet！Alittletoobright，hadthoughttheshakingcurls。\"Thecolourswilltonedown，miss——ma’am。\"Theshopmanknew。OnlybythehelpoftheroundislandunderneaththemassiveEmpiretable，byexcursionsintountroddencorners，couldPeterrecollecttherainbowfloorhisfeethadpressedwhenhewastwenty—one。Thenoblebookcase，surmountedbyMinerva’sbust。Reallyitwastooexpensive。Butthenoddingcurlshadbeensoobstinate。Peter’ssillybooksandpapersmustbeputawayinorder;thecurlsdidnotintendtopermitanyexcuseforuntidiness。So，too，thehandsome，brass—
bounddesk;itmustbeworthyofthebeautifulthoughtsPeterwouldpenuponit。Thegreatsideboard，supportedbytwosuchangry—
lookingmahoganylions;itmustbestrongtosupporttheweightofsilvercleverPeterwouldonedaypurchasetoplaceuponit。Thefewoilpaintingsintheirheavyframes。Asolidlyfurnished，soberapartment;aboutitthatsubtleatmosphereofdignityonefindsbutinoldroomslongundisturbed，whereoneseemstoreaduponthewalls：\"I，JoyandSorrow，twaininone，havedwelthere。\"Oneitemonlytherewasthatseemedoutofplaceamongitsgravesurroundings——aguitar，hangingfromthewall，ornamentedwitharidiculousbluebow，somewhatfaded。
\"Mr。WilliamClodd？\"demandedthedecidedvoice。
Cloddstartedandclosedthedoor。
\"Guesseditinonce，\"admittedMr。Clodd。
\"Ithoughtso，\"saidthedecidedvoice。\"Wegotyournotethisafternoon。Mr。Hopewillbebackateight。Willyoukindlyhangupyourhatandcoatinthehall？Youwillfindaboxofcigarsonthemantelpiece。Excusemybeingbusy。Imustfinishthis，thenI’lltalktoyou。\"
Theownerofthedecidedvoicewentonwriting。Clodd，havingdoneashewasbid，sathimselfintheeasy—chairbeforethefireandsmoked。OfthepersonbehindthedeskMr。Cloddcouldseebuttheheadandshoulders。Ithadblack，curlyhair，cutshort。It’sonlygarmentvisiblebelowthewhitecollarandredtiemighthavebeenaboy’sjacketdesignedmorelikeagirl’s，oragirl’sdesignedmorelikeaboy’s;partakingofthegeniusofEnglishstatesmanship，itappearedtobeacompromise。Mr。Cloddremarkedthelong，droopinglashesoverthebright，blackeyes。
\"It’sagirl，\"saidMr。Cloddtohimself;\"ratheraprettygirl。\"
Mr。Clodd，continuingdownward，arrivedatthenose。
\"No，\"saidMr。Cloddtohimself，\"it’saboy——acheekyyoungbeggar，Ishouldsay。\"
Thepersonatthedesk，givingagruntofsatisfaction，gatheredtogethersheetsofmanuscriptandarrangedthem;then，restingitselbowsonthedeskandtakingitsheadbetweenitshands，regardedMr。Clodd。
\"Don’tyouhurryyourself，\"saidMr。Clodd;\"butwhenyoureallyhavefinished，tellmewhatyouthinkofme。\"
\"Ibegyourpardon，\"apologisedthepersonatthedesk。\"Ihavegotintoahabitofstaringatpeople。Iknowit’srude。I’mtryingtobreakmyselfofit。\"
\"Tellmeyourname，\"suggestedMr。Clodd，\"andI’llforgiveyou。\"
\"Tommy，\"wastheanswer——\"ImeanJane。\"
\"Makeupyourmind，\"advisedMr。Clodd;\"don’tletmeinfluenceyou。Ionlywantthetruth。\"
\"Yousee，\"explainedthepersonatthedesk，\"everybodycallsmeTommy，becausethatusedtobemyname。Butnowit’sJane。\"
\"Isee，\"saidMr。Clodd。\"AndwhichamItocallyou？\"
Thepersonatthedeskpondered。\"Well，ifthisschemeyouandMr。
Hopehavebeentalkingaboutreallycomestoanything，weshallbeagooddealthrowntogether，yousee，andthenIexpectyou’llcallmeTommy——mostpeopledo。\"
\"You’veheardaboutthescheme？Mr。Hopehastoldyou？\"
\"Why，ofcourse，\"repliedTommy。\"I’mMr。Hope’sdevil。\"
ForthemomentClodddoubtedwhetherhisoldfriendhadnotstartedarivalestablishmenttohisown。
\"Ihelphiminhiswork，\"Tommyrelievedhismindbyexplaining。
\"Injournalisticcircleswecallitdevilling。\"
\"Iunderstand，\"saidMr。Clodd。\"Andwhatdoyouthink，Tommy，ofthescheme？ImayaswellstartcallingyouTommy，because，betweenyouandme，Ithinktheideawillcometosomething。\"
Tommyfixedherblackeyesuponhim。Sheseemedtobelookinghimrightthrough。
\"Youarestaringagain，Tommy，\"Cloddremindedher。\"You’llhavetroublebreakingyourselfofthathabit，Icansee。\"
\"Iwastryingtomakeupmymindaboutyou。Everythingdependsuponthebusinessman。\"
\"Gladtohearyousayso，\"repliedtheself—satisfiedClodd。
\"Ifyouareveryclever——Doyoumindcomingnearertothelamp？I
can’tquiteseeyouoverthere。\"
Cloddnevercouldunderstandwhyhedidit——nevercouldunderstandwhy，fromfirsttolast，healwaysdidwhatTommywishedhimtodo;
hisonlyconsolationbeingthatotherfolksseemedjustashelpless。Heroseand，crossingthelongroom，stoodatattentionbeforethelargedesk，nervousness，towhichhewassomewhatofastranger，takingpossessionofhim。
\"Youdon’tLOOKveryclever。\"
Cloddexperiencedanothernewsensation——thatoffallinginhisownestimation。
\"AndyetonecanseethatyouAREclever。\"
ThemercuryofClodd’sconceitshotupwardtoapointthatinthecaseofanyonelessphysicallyrobustmighthavebeendangeroustohealth。
Cloddheldouthishand。\"We’llpullitthrough，Tommy。TheGuv’norshallfindtheliterature;youandIwillmakeitgo。I
likeyou。\"
AndPeterHope，enteringatthemoment，caughtasparkfromthelightthatshoneintheeyesofWilliamCloddandTommy，whoseothernamewasJane，as，grippinghands，theystoodwiththedeskbetweenthem，laughingtheyknewnotwhy。AndtheyearsfellfromoldPeter，and，againaboy，healsolaughedheknewnotwhy。Hehadsippedfromthewine—cupofyouth。
\"It’sallsettled，Guv’nor！\"criedClodd。\"TommyandIhavefixedthingsup。We’llstartwiththeNewYear。\"
\"You’vegotthemoney？\"
\"I’mreckoningonit。Idon’tseeverywellhowIcanmissit。\"
\"Sufficient？\"
\"Justabout。Yougettowork。\"
\"I’vesavedalittle，\"beganPeter。\"Itoughttohavebeenmore，butsomehowitisn’t。\"
\"Perhapsweshallwantit，\"Cloddreplied;\"perhapsweshan’t。Youaresupplyingthebrains。\"
Thethreeforafewmomentsremainedsilent。
\"Ithink，Tommy，\"saidPeter，\"IthinkabottleoftheoldMadeira—
—\"
\"Notto—night，\"saidClodd;\"nexttime。\"
\"Todrinksuccess，\"urgedPeter。
\"Oneman’ssuccessgenerallymeanssomeotherpoordevil’smisfortune，\"answeredClodd。
\"Can’tbehelped，ofcourse，butdon’twanttothinkaboutitto—
night。Mustbegettingbacktomydormouse。Goodnight。\"
Cloddshookhandsandbustledout。
\"Ithoughtasmuch，\"musedPeteraloud。
\"Whatanoddmixturethemanis！Kind——noonecouldhavebeenkindertothepooroldfellow。Yetallthewhile——Weareanoddmixture，Tommy，\"saidPeterHope，\"anoddmixture，wemenandwomen。\"Peterwasaphilosopher。
Thewhite—whiskeredolddormousesooncoughedhimselftosleepforever。
\"Ishallwantyouandthemissistocometothefuneral，Gladman，\"
saidMr。Clodd，asheswungintothestationer’sshop;\"andbringPincerwithyou。I’mwritingtohim。\"
\"Don’tseewhatgoodwecando，\"demurredGladman。
\"Well，youthreearehisonlyrelatives;it’sonlydecentyoushouldbepresent，\"urgedClodd。\"Besides，there’sthewilltoberead。Youmaycaretohearit。\"
Thedryoldlawstationeropenedwidehiswateryeyes。
\"Hiswill！Why，whathadhegottoleave？Therewasnothingbuttheannuity。\"
\"Youturnupatthefuneral，\"Cloddtoldhim，\"andyou’lllearnallaboutit。Bonner’sclerkwillbethereandwillbringitwithhim。
Everythingisgoingtobedonecommeilfaut，astheFrenchsay。\"
\"Ioughttohaveknownofthis，\"beganMr。Gladman。
\"Gladtofindyoutakingsomuchinterestintheoldchap，\"saidClodd。\"Pityhe’sdeadandcan’tthankyou。\"
\"Iwarnyou，\"shoutedoldGladman，whosevoicewasrisingtoascream，\"hewasahelplessimbecile，incapableofactingforhimself！Ifanyundueinfluence——\"
\"SeeyouonFriday，\"brokeinClodd，whowasbusy。
Friday’sceremonywasnotasociableaffair。Mrs。GladmanspokeoccasionallyinashrillwhispertoMr。Gladman，whorepliedwithgrunts。BothemployedtheremainderoftheirtimeinscowlingatClodd。Mr。Pincer，astout，heavygentlemanconnectedwiththeHouseofCommons，maintainedaministerialreserve。Theundertaker’sforemanexpressedhimselfasthankfulwhenitwasover。Hecriticiseditasthehumpiestfuneralhehadeverknown;
foratimehehadseriousthoughtsofchanginghisprofession。
Thesolicitor’sclerkwaswaitingforthepartyonitsreturnfromKensalGreen。Cloddagainofferedhospitality。Mr。Pincerthistimeallowedhimselfaglassofweakwhisky—and—water，andsippeditwithanairofdoingsowithoutprejudice。Theclerkhadonealittlestronger，Mrs。Gladman，dispensingwithconsultation，declinedshrillyforselfandpartner。Clodd，explainingthathealwaysfollowedlegalprecedent，mixedhimselfonealsoanddrank\"Toournexthappymeeting。\"Thentheclerkread。
Itwasashortandsimplewill，datedthepreviousAugust。Itappearedthattheoldgentleman，unknowntohisrelatives，haddiedpossessedofsharesinasilvermine，oncedespairedof，nowprospering。Takingthematpresentvalue，theywouldproduceasumwellovertwothousandpounds。Theoldgentlemanhadbequeathedfivehundredpoundstohisbrother—in—law，Mr。Gladman;fivehundredpoundstohisonlyotherlivingrelative，hisfirstcousin，Mr。Pincer;theresiduetohisfriend，WilliamClodd，asareturnforthemanykindnessesthatgentlemanhadshownhim。
Mr。Gladmanrose，moreamusedthanangry。
\"Andyouthinkyouaregoingtopocketthatonethousandtotwelvehundredpounds。Youreallydo？\"heaskedMr。Clodd，who，withlegsstretchedoutbeforehim，satwithhishandsdeepinhistrouserspockets。
\"That’stheidea，\"admittedMr。Clodd。
Mr。Gladmanlaughed，butwithoutmuchlighteningtheatmosphere。
\"Uponmyword，Clodd，youamuseme——youquiteamuseme，\"repeatedMr。Gladman。
\"Youalwayshadasenseofhumour，\"commentedMr。Clodd。
\"Youvillain！Youdouble—dyedvillain！\"screamedMr。Gladman，suddenlychanginghistone。\"Youthinkthelawisgoingtoallowyoutoswindlehonestmen！Youthinkwearegoingtositstillforyoutorobus！Thatwill——\"Mr。Gladmanpointedalankforefingerdramaticallytowardsthetable。
\"Youmeantodisputeit？\"inquiredMr。Clodd。
ForamomentMr。Gladmanstoodaghastattheother’scoolness，butsoonfoundhisvoiceagain。
\"Disputeit！\"heshrieked。\"Doyoudisputethatyouinfluencedhim？——dictatedittohimwordforword，madethepooroldhelplessidiotsignit，heutterlyincapableofevenunderstanding——\"
\"Don’tchattersomuch，\"interruptedMr。Clodd。\"It’snotaprettyvoice，yours。WhatIaskedyouwas，doyouintendtodisputeit？\"
\"Ifyouwillkindlyexcuseus，\"struckinMrs。Gladman，addressingMr。Cloddwithanairofmuchpoliteness，\"weshalljusthavetime，ifwegonow，tocatchoursolicitorbeforeheleaveshisoffice。\"
Mr。Gladmantookuphishatfromunderneathhischair。
\"Onemoment，\"suggestedMr。Clodd。\"Ididinfluencehimtomakethatwill。Ifyoudon’tlikeit，there’sanendofit。\"
\"Ofcourse，\"commencedMr。Gladmaninamollifiedtone。
\"Sitdown，\"suggestedMr。Clodd。\"Let’stryanotherone。\"Mr。
Cloddturnedtotheclerk。\"Thepreviousone，Mr。Wright，ifyouplease;theonedatedJunethe10th。\"
Anequallyshortandsimpledocument，itbequeathedthreehundredpoundstoMr。WilliamCloddinacknowledgmentofkindnessesreceived，theresiduetotheRoyalZoologicalSocietyofLondon，thedeceasedhavingbeenalwaysinterestedinandfondofanimals。
Therelatives，\"Whohavenevershownmetheslightestaffectionorgiventhemselvestheslightesttroubleconcerningme，andwhohavealreadyreceivedconsiderablesumsoutofmyincome，\"beingbynameexcluded。
\"Imaymention，\"observedMr。Clodd，nooneelseappearinginclinedtobreakthesilence，\"thatinsuggestingtheRoyalZoologicalSocietytomypooroldfriendasafittingobjectforhisbenevolence，Ihadinmindaverysimilarcasethatoccurredfiveyearsago。Abequesttothemwasdisputedonthegroundsthatthetestatorwasofunsoundmind。TheyhadtotaketheircasetotheHouseofLordsbeforetheyfinallywonit。\"
\"Anyhow，\"remarkedMr。Gladman，lickinghislips，whichweredry，\"youwon’tgetanything，Mr。Clodd——no，notevenyourthree—hundredpounds，cleverasyouthinkyourself。Mybrother—in—law’smoneywillgotothelawyers。\"
ThenMr。Pincerroseandspokeslowlyandclearly。\"Iftheremustbealunaticconnectedwithourfamily，whichIdon’tseewhythereshouldbe，itseemstometobeyou，NathanielGladman。\"
Mr。Gladmanstaredbackwithopenmouth。Mr。Pincerwentonimpressively。
\"AsformypooroldcousinJoe，hehadhiseccentricities，butthatwasall。IforoneampreparedtoswearthathewasofsoundmindinAugustlastandquitecapableofmakinghisownwill。Itseemstomethattheotherthing，datedinJune，isjustwastepaper。\"
Mr。Pincerhavingdeliveredhimself，satdownagain。Mr。Gladmanshowedsignsofreturninglanguage。
\"Oh！what’stheuseofquarrelling？\"chirpedincheeryMrs。
Gladman。\"It’sfivehundredpoundsweneverexpected。LiveandletliveiswhatIalwayssay。\"
\"It’sthedamnedartfulnessofthething，\"saidMr。Gladman，stillverywhiteaboutthegills。
\"Oh，youhavealittlesomethingtothawyourface，\"suggestedhiswife。
Mr。andMrs。Gladman，onthestrengthofthefivehundredpounds，wenthomeinacab。Mr。PincerstayedbehindandmadeanightofitwithMr。CloddandBonner’sclerk，atClodd’sexpense。
Theresidueworkedoutatelevenhundredandsixty—ninepoundsandafewshillings。Thecapitalofthenewcompany，\"establishedforthepurposeofcarryingonthebusinessofnewspaperpublishersanddistributors，printers，advertisingagents，andanyothertradeandenterpriseaffiliatedtothesame，\"wasonethousandpoundsinonepoundshares，fullypaidup;ofwhichWilliamClodd，Esquire，wasregisteredproprietoroffourhundredandsixty—three;PeterHope，M。A。，of16，GoughSquare，ofalsofourhundredandsixty—three;
MissJaneHope，adopteddaughterofsaidPeterHope（herrealnamenobody，herselfincluded，everhavingknown），andgenerallycalledTommy，ofthree，paidforbyherselfafterabattleroyalwithWilliamClodd;Mrs。Postwhistle，ofRollsCourt，often，presentedbythepromoter;Mr。Pincer，oftheHouseofCommons，alsooften（stillowingfor）;Dr。Smith（neSchmidt）offifty;JamesDouglasAlexanderCalderMcTear（otherwisethe\"WeeLaddie\"），residingtheninMrs。Postwhistle’sfirstfloorfront，ofone，paidforbypoempublishedinthefirstnumber：\"TheSongofthePen。\"
Choosingatitleforthepapercostmuchthought。Driventodespair，theycalleditGoodHumour。
STORYTHETHIRD：GrindleyJuniordropsintothePositionofPublisherFewarethewaysoftheWestCentraldistrictthathavechangedlesswithinthelasthalf—centurythanNevill’sCourt，leadingfromGreatNewStreetintoFetterLane。Itsnorthsidestillconsistsofthesamequaintrowofsmalllowshopsthatstoodthere——doingperhapsalittlebriskerbusiness——whenGeorgetheFourthwasKing;
itssouthernsideofthesamethreesubstantialhouseseachbehindastripofgarden，pleasantbycontrastwithsurroundinggrimness，builtlongago——somesaybeforeQueenAnnewasdead。
Outofthelargestofthese，passingthroughthegarden，thenwellcaredfor，cameonesunnySundaymorning，somefifteenyearsbeforethecommencementproperofthisstory，oneSolomonAppleyard，pushinginfrontofhimaperambulator。Atthebrickwallsurmountedbywoodenrailingsthatdividesthegardenfromthecourt，Solomonpaused，hearingbehindhimthevoiceofMrs。
Appleyardspeakingfromthedoorstep。
\"IfIdon’tseeyouagainuntildinner—time，I’lltryandgetonwithoutyou，understand。Don’tthinkofnothingbutyourpipeandforgetthechild。Andbecarefulofthecrossings。\"
Mrs。Appleyardretiredintothedarkness。Solomon，steeringtheperambulatorcarefully，emergedfromNevill’sCourtwithoutaccident。ThequietstreetsdrewSolomonwestward。AvacantseatbeneaththeshadeoverlookingtheLongWaterinKensingtonGardensinvitedtorest。
\"Piper？\"suggestedasmallboytoSolomon。\"SundayTimes，’Server？\"
\"Myboy，\"saidMr。Appleyard，speakingslowly，\"whenyou’vebeenmewedupwithnewspaperseighteenhoursadayforsixdaysaweek，youcandowithout’emforamorning。Take’emaway。Iwanttoforgetthesmellof’em。\"
Solomon，havingassuredhimselfthatthepartyintheperambulatorwasstillbreathing，crossedhislegsandlithispipe。
\"Hezekiah！\"
TheexclamationhadbeenwrungfromSolomonAppleyardbytheapproachofastout，shortmancladinaremarkablyill—fittingbroad—clothsuit。
\"What，Sol，myboy？\"
\"Itlookedlikeyou，\"saidSolomon。\"AndthenIsaidtomyself：
’No;surelyitcan’tbeHezekiah;he’llbeatchapel。’\"
\"Yourunabout，\"saidHezekiah，addressingayouthofsomefoursummershehadbeenleadingbythehand。\"Don’tyougooutofmysight;andwhateveryoudo，don’tyoudoinjurytothosenewclothesofyours，oryou’llwishyou’dneverbeenputintothem。
Thetruthis，\"continuedHezekiahtohisfriend，hissolesurvivingsonandheirbeingoutofearshot，\"themorningtemptedme。