r; not a word could I get out of her. At
last Barnabas made his appearance from the kitchen, and to him I
addressed myself. "Barnabas," said I, laying my hand upon his arm, "I
conjure you, as you value my happiness, to tell me if Mr Wolstang is at
home?"

"Sir!" said Barnabas, with a long stare.

I repeated my question.

"Did you ask," replied he, "if Mr Wolstang was at home? If that
gentleman is yourself, he is at home. O yes, I warrant you, my master is
at home."

"In what place is he, then?" I inquired.

"Wherever you are, he is not far off, I warrant you, master."

"Can I find him in his study?"

"O yes," continued Barnabas; "if you go to his study, I warrant you
he'll be there. Will you please to walk in, sir?" and I could see the
fellow put his finger to his nose and wink to the girl, who kept
tittering away in a corner. As soon as I was in the study she burst into
a loud laugh, which ended by her declaring that I must be mad--"Or
drunk," quoth the sapient Barnabas, in his usual dry manner.

On entering the room, no person was to be seen; but from behind a large
screen, which stood fronting the fire, I heard a sneeze. "This must be
Wolstang," thought I: "but it is not his sneeze either; it is too sharp
and finical for him; however, let us see." So on I went behind the
screen, and there beheld, not the person I expected, but one very
different--to wit, a little, meagre, brown-faced elderly gentleman, with
hooked nose and chin, a long well-powdered queue, and a wooden leg. He
was dressed in a snuff-coloured surtout, a scarlet waistcoat, and black
small-clothes buckled at the knee; and on his nose was stuck a pair of
tortoise-shell spectacles, the glasses of which were of most unusual
dimensions. A dapper-looking cocked-hat lay upon the table, together
with a large open snuff-box full of rich rappee. Behind his right ear a
pen was stuck, after the manner of the counting-house, and he seemed
busily poring over a book in manuscript.

I looked a few seconds at this oddity, equally astonished and vexed at
being put into what I naturally supposed the wrong room. "I am afraid,
sir," said I, as he turned his eyes towards me, "that I have intruded
upon your privacy. I beg leave to apologise for the mistake. The servant
led me to believe that Mr Wolstang, with whom I wished to speak, was in
this chamber."

"Don't talk of apology, my dear sir," said the little gentleman, rising
up and bowing with the utmost polite