ur welcome on the threshold of the saddler's shop.

I feel sure that Scotchmen do greatly profit by the habit they have of
"absorbing into their constitutions," so to speak, all the facts of
every kind that come within their ken. They "go in for general
information," like the Tom Toddy in Mr. Kingsley's 'Water Babies;' but
their hard heads have, fortunately, no likeness to turnips.

This, however, is a digression.

Mr. Benjamin Buckle, Mrs. Benjamin Buckle, Jemima Buckle, their
daughter, Mr. Buckle's apprentice, and the "general girl," or
maid-of-all-work, were all in the shop to receive us. I believe the
cat was the only living creature in the house who was not there. But
cats seldom exert themselves unnecessarily on behalf of other people,
and she awaited our arrival upstairs. I had a severe if not
undignified struggle with the string before I could get my hat off.
Then I advanced, and, holding out my hand to Mr. Buckle, said,

"Mr. Buckle, I believe?"

[Illustration: "Mr. Buckle, I believe?"]

"The same to you, sir, and a many of them," said Mr. Buckle, hastily;
being, I fancy, rather put out by the touch of my frail hand, which
was certainly very unlike the leather he handled daily. He saw his
mistake, and added quickly,

"Your servant, sir. I hope your health's better, sir?"

"Very well, thank you," said I (all children make that answer, I
think).

"What a little gentleman!" said Mrs. Buckle, in an audible "aside" to
my nurse. She was as good-natured a woman as Mrs. Bundle herself, but
with less brains. She lived in a chronic state of surprises and
superlatives.

"You are Nurse's sister, aren't you, please?" I asked, going up to
her, and once more tendering my hand. "I wanted to see you very much."

"Now just to think of that, Jemima! did you ever?" cried Mrs. Buckle.

"La!" said Jemima; in acknowledgment of which striking remark, I bent
my head, and said,

"How do you do, Jemima?" adding, almost without an instant's pause,
"Please take me away, Nurse! I am so very tired."

By one immediate and unbroken action, Mrs. Bundle cut her way through
our hospitable friends and the scattered rolls of leather and other
trade accessories in the shop, and conveyed me into an arm-chair in
the sitting-room upstairs, where I sat, the tears running down my face
for very weakness.

I had longed for the novelty of a residence above a saddler's shop;
but now, too weary for new experiences, I was only conscious that