might have already joined himself to
something he had never seen, he said constrainedly: "Just so."

"And so you see, sir," pursued Phoebe, "I am not the invalid you thought
me, and I am very well off indeed."

"You have a happy disposition," said Barbox Brothers: perhaps with a
slight excusatory touch for his own disposition.

"Ah! But you should know my father," she replied. "His is the happy
disposition!--Don't mind, sir!" For his reserve took the alarm at a step
upon the stairs, and he distrusted that he would be set down for a
troublesome intruder. "This is my father coming."

The door opened, and the father paused there.

"Why, Lamps!" exclaimed Barbox Brothers, starting from his chair. "How
do you do, Lamps?"

To which Lamps responded: "The gentleman for Nowhere! How do you DO,
sir?"

And they shook hands, to the greatest admiration and surprise of Lamp's
daughter.

"I have looked you up half-a-dozen times since that night," said Barbox
Brothers, "but have never found you."

"So I've heerd on, sir, so I've heerd on," returned Lamps. "It's your
being noticed so often down at the Junction, without taking any train,
that has begun to get you the name among us of the gentleman for Nowhere.
No offence in my having called you by it when took by surprise, I hope,
sir?"

"None at all. It's as good a name for me as any other you could call me
by. But may I ask you a question in the corner here?"

Lamps suffered himself to be led aside from his daughter's couch by one
of the buttons of his velveteen jacket.

"Is this the bedside where you sing your songs?"

Lamps nodded.

The gentleman for Nowhere clapped him on the shoulder, and they faced
about again.

"Upon my word, my dear," said Lamps then to his daughter, looking from
her to her visitor, "it is such an amaze to me, to find you brought
acquainted with this gentleman, that I must (if this gentleman will
excuse me) take a rounder."

Mr. Lamps demonstrated in action what this meant, by pulling out his oily
handkerchief rolled up in the form of a ball, and giving himself an
elaborate smear, from behind the right ear, up the cheek, across the
forehead, and down the other cheek to behind his left ear. After this
operation he shone exceedingly.

"It's according to my custom when particular warmed up by any agitation,
sir," he offered by way of apology. "And really, I am throwed into that
state of amaze by finding you brought acquainted with