n, I
can generally put it down as well as most people. No one could be
easier to live with than I am, and I am sure Eliza has found it so; but
what I say is, if a man is not master in his own house, then where is
he?

* * * * *

Amrod printed the cards while I waited. I had them done in the Old
English character. I suggested some little decoration to give them a
tone,--an ivy leaf in the corner, or a little flourish under the
name,--but Amrod was opposed to this. He seemed to think it was not
essential, and it would have been charged extra, and also he had
nothing of the kind in stock. So I let that pass. The cards looked very
well as they were, a little plain and formal, perhaps, but very clean
(except in the case of a few where the ink had rubbed), and very
gratifying to one's natural self-respect.

[Illustration: "_He seemed to think it was not essential._"]

That evening I took a small cardboard box that had contained candles,
and packed in it a few carefully selected flowers from the garden, and
one of our cards. On the card I wrote "With kindest love from" just
above the names, and posted it to Eliza's mother.

So far was Eliza's mother from being offended that she sent Eliza a
present of a postal-order for five shillings, three pounds of pressed
beef, and a nicely worked apron.

On glancing over that sentence, I see that it is, perhaps, a little
ambiguous. The postal order was for the shillings alone--not for the
beef or the apron.

I only mention the incident to show whether, in this case, Eliza or I
was right.

* * * * *

I put a few of my own cards in my letter-case, and the rest were packed
away in a drawer. A few weeks afterward I was annoyed to find Eliza
using some of her cards for winding silks. She said that it did not
prevent them from being used again, if they were ever wanted.

"Pardon me," I said, "but cards for social purposes should not be bent
or frayed at the edge, and can hardly be too clean. Oblige me by not
doing that again!"

That evening Eliza told me that No. 14 in the Crescent had been taken
by some people called Popworth.

"That must be young Popworth who used to be in our office," I said. "I
heard that he was going to be married this year. You must certainly
call and leave cards."

"Which sort, and how many?"

"Without referring to a book, I can hardly say precisely. These things
are ver