at's the matter? You look ill and out of
spirits. Hungry? Of course you are! unpardonable of me to have kept you
waiting. This door leads somewhere, I suppose; let's try a short
cut into the house. Don't be afraid of my not keeping you company at
breakfast. I didn't eat much at the cottage; I feasted my eyes on Miss
Milroy, as the poets say. Oh, the darling! the darling! she turns you
topsy-turvy the moment you look at her. As for her father, wait till
you see his wonderful clock! It's twice the size of the famous clock at
Strasbourg, and the most tremendous striker ever heard yet in the memory
of man!"

Singing the praises of his new friends in this strain at the top of his
voice, Allan hurried Midwinter along the stone passages on the
basement floor, which led, as he had rightly guessed, to a staircase
communicating with the hall. They passed the servants' offices on the
way. At the sight of the cook and the roaring fire, disclosed through
the open kitchen door, Allan's mind went off at a tangent, and Allan's
dignity scattered itself to the four winds of heaven, as usual.

"Aha, Mrs. Gripper, there you are with your pots and pans, and your
burning fiery furnace! One had need be Shadrach, Meshach, and the other
fellow to stand over that. Breakfast as soon as ever you like. Eggs,
sausages, bacon, kidneys, marmalade, water-cresses, coffee, and so
forth. My friend and I belong to the select few whom it's a perfect
privilege to cook for. Voluptuaries, Mrs. Gripper, voluptuaries, both of
us. You'll see," continued Allan, as they went on toward the stairs, "I
shall make that worthy creature young again; I'm better than a doctor
for Mrs. Gripper. When she laughs, she shakes her fat sides, and when
she shakes her fat sides, she exerts her muscular system; and when
she exerts her muscular system--Ha! here's Susan again. Don't squeeze
yourself flat against the banisters, my dear; if you don't mind hustling
_me_ on the stairs, I rather like hustling _you_. She looks like a
full-blown rose when she blushes, doesn't she? Stop, Susan! I've orders
to give. Be very particular with Mr. Midwinter's room: shake up his bed
like mad, and dust his furniture till those nice round arms of yours
ache again. Nonsense, my dear fellow! I'm not too familiar with them;
I'm only keeping them up to their work. Now, then, Richard! where do we
breakfast? Oh, here. Between ourselves, Midwinter, these splendid rooms
of mine are a size too large for me;