at my eyes never saw till now
nor hoped to see, a radiance that may never fail, I hope--a--er--"

"Oh, go on, Mr. Geoffrey, go on. Only I guess I'll light the gas jest
the same, if you don't mind!" Which Mrs. Trapes did forthwith. "But what
was you a-doin' of all alone in the dark?"

"Glorying in life, Mrs. Trapes, and praising the good God for health and
strength to enjoy it and the fulness thereof--"

"'Fulness thereof' meanin' jest what, Mr. Geoffrey?"

"The most beautiful thing in a beautiful world, Mrs. Trapes."

"An' that's Hermy, I s'pose. An' all that talk o' glory an' radiance an'
magic light means as you've been an' spoke, I guess?"

"It does."

"An' what did she say?"

"Nothing."

"Nothin'?"

"Not with her lips, but--"

"Oh--her eyes, was it? Mr. Geoffrey, I'll tell you what--a girl may
look 'yes' with her eyes a whole week an' say 'no' with her mouth jest
once and mean 'no'--when it's to a peanut man--Lordy Lord! what's that?"
And Mrs. Trapes jumped as a hand rapped softly on the door, and stared
horrified to see a human head protrude itself into the room while a
voice said:

"Da Signorina she out, so me come tell-a you piece-a-da-noos--"

"Why, if it ain't that blessed guinney! Go away--what d'ye want?"

Hereupon Tony flashed his white teeth, and opening the door, bowed with
his inimitable grace, grew solemn, tapped his nose, winked knowingly,
and laid finger to lip.

"My land!" said Mrs. Trapes, staring. "What's the matter with the
Eyetalian iji't now?"

"Spike--he go make-a-da-fight!" whispered Tony hoarsely.

"Eh--Arthur fightin'--where?"

"He go make-a-da-box--he drink-a-da-booze, den he walk-a--so! Den da
Signorina she-a-cry--"

"Oh!" exclaimed Mrs. Trapes, "you mean as that b'y's off boxin' again?"

"Si, si--he go make-a-da-box-fight."

"Is he over at O'Rourke's, Tony?" enquired Ravenslee, sitting upright.

"I bet-a-my-life, yes--"

"Oh, Mr. Geoffrey!" exclaimed Mrs. Trapes, clasping bony hands. "If they
bring him home drunk like they did last time!"

"They shan't do that, Mrs. Trapes. Don't worry, I'll go and fetch him,"
said Ravenslee, getting to his feet.

"Fetch him? From O'Rourke's? Are ye crazy? You'd get half-killed like as
not. Oh, they're a bad, ugly lot down there!"

"I feel rather ugly myself," said Ravenslee, looking around for the
shabby hat; "anyway, I'm going to see."

"Why, then, if you're goin' t' venture among that lot, you take this
with ye, Mr. G