Martin, during which Mr Jollyboy struck Mrs
Grumbit nearly dumb with horror by stating positively that he would do
for the boy,--he would send him to sea! Then, seeing that he had hit
the wrongest possible nail on the head, he said that he would make the
lad a clerk in his office, where he would be sure to rise to a place of
trust; whereat Mrs Grumbit danced, if we may so speak, into herself for
joy.

"And now, ma'am, about these stockings. I want two thousand pairs as
soon as I can get them!"

"Sir?" said Mrs Grumbit.

"Of course, not for my own use, ma'am; nor for the use of my family, for
I have no family; and if I had, that would be an unnecessarily large
supply. The fact is, Mrs Grumbit, I am a merchant and I send very
large supplies of home-made articles to foreign lands, and two thousand
pairs of socks are a mere driblet. Of course I do not expect you to
make them all for me, but I wish you to make as many pairs as you can."

"I shall be very happy--" began Mrs Grumbit.

"But, Mrs Grumbit, there is a peculiar formation which I require in my
socks that will give you extra trouble, I fear; but I must have it,
whatever the additional expense may be. What is your charge for the
pair you are now making?"

"Three shillings," said Mrs Grumbit.

"Ah! very good. Now, take up the wires if you please, ma'am, and do
what I tell you. Now, drop that stitch,--good; and take up this one,--
capital; and pull this one across that way,--so; and that one across
this way,--exactly. Now, what is the result?"

The result was a complicated knot; and Mrs Grumbit, after staring a few
seconds at the old gentleman in surprise, said so, and begged to know
what use it was of.

"Oh, never mind, never mind. We merchants have strange fancies, and
foreigners have curious tastes now and then. Please to make all my
socks with a hitch like that in them all round, just above the ankle.
It will form an ornamental ring. I'm sorry to put you to the trouble,
but of course I pay extra for fancy-work. Will six shillings a-pair do
for these?"

"My dear sir," said Mrs Grumbit, "it is no additional--"

"Well, well, never mind," said Mr Jollyboy. "Two thousand pairs,
remember, as soon as possible,--close knitted, plain stitch, rather
coarse worsted; and don't forget the hitch, Mrs Grumbit, don't forget
the hitch."

Ah! reader, there are many Mrs Grumbits in this world, requiring
_hitches_ to be made in their stockings!

At this