to show that the number of pieces he had
bought, and the measure of which he had ascertained, was such that there
ought to have been half-a-piece left over from papering the room, the
size of which he had exactly taken. Hewlett could do nothing but
stolidly repeat that "there weren't none left, not enow to make a
mouse's nest."

"Who did the papering? Did you?"

"Daniel Hewlett, sir, he did the most on it. My cousin, sir."

The captain fell upon Daniel, who had more words at command, but was
equally strong in denial of having any remnant. "They had only skimped
out enough," he said, "just enough for the walls, and it was a close fit
anyhow."

The captain loudly declared it impossible, but Mary ran out in the midst
to suggest that mayhap the defect was in the French measure. Each piece
might not have been the true number of whatever they called them in that
new revolutionary fashion.

Dan Hewlett's face cleared up. "Ay, 'tis the French measure, sure, sir.
Of course they can't do nothing true and straight! I be mortal sorry
the ladies is disappointed, but it bain't no fault of mine, sir."

"And look here, Edmund," continued Mary, "it will not spoil the room at
all if Mr Hewlett will help move the tall bureau against it, and we'll
hang the `Death of General Wolfe' above it, and then there won't be more
than two bits of laburnum to be seen, even if you are curious enough to
get upon a chair to investigate."

"Well, it must be so," returned Captain Carbonel, "but I hate the idea
of makeshifts and having imperfections concealed."

"Just like you, Edmund," laughed Dora. "You will always seem to be
looking right through at the upright sprays, though all the solid weight
of Hume, Gibbon, and Rollin is in front of them."

"Precisely," said Edmund. "It is not well to feel that there is
anything to be hidden. The chief part of the vexation is, however," he
added--shutting the door and lowering his voice--"that I am convinced
that there must have been foul play somewhere."

"Oh, Edmund; French measure!"

"Nonsense! That does not account for at least a whole piece
disappearing."

He took out a pencil, and went again into his calculations, while his
sister-in-law indignantly exclaimed--

"It is all prejudice, because that horrid attorney said all these poor
people were a bad lot."

"Hush, hush!" said Mrs Carbonel, rather frightened, and--

"I advise you to think before you speak," said Captain Carbonel q