.
"What should you think, sir," says Cobbs, "of a chamber candlestick?" The
gentleman approved; the chambermaid went first, up the great staircase;
the lady, in her sky-blue mantle, followed, gallantly escorted by the
gentleman; the gentleman embraced her at her door, and retired to his own
apartment, where Boots softly locked him up.

Boots couldn't but feel with increased acuteness what a base deceiver he
was, when they consulted him at breakfast (they had ordered sweet milk-
and-water, and toast and currant jelly, overnight) about the pony. It
really was as much as he could do, he don't mind confessing to me, to
look them two young things in the face, and think what a wicked old
father of lies he had grown up to be. Howsomever, he went on a lying
like a Trojan about the pony. He told 'em that it did so unfortunately
happen that the pony was half clipped, you see, and that he couldn't be
taken out in that state, for fear it should strike to his inside. But
that he'd be finished clipping in the course of the day, and that
to-morrow morning at eight o'clock the pheayton would be ready. Boots's
view of the whole case, looking back on it in my room, is, that Mrs.
Harry Walmers, Junior, was beginning to give in. She hadn't had her hair
curled when she went to bed, and she didn't seem quite up to brushing it
herself, and its getting in her eyes put her out. But nothing put out
Master Harry. He sat behind his breakfast-cup, a tearing away at the
jelly, as if he had been his own father.

After breakfast, Boots is inclined to consider that they drawed
soldiers,--at least, he knows that many such was found in the fire-place,
all on horseback. In the course of the morning, Master Harry rang the
bell,--it was surprising how that there boy did carry on,--and said, in a
sprightly way, "Cobbs, is there any good walks in this neighbourhood?"

"Yes, sir," says Cobbs. "There's Love Lane."

"Get out with you, Cobbs!"--that was that there boy's expression,--"you're
joking."

"Begging your pardon, sir," says Cobbs, "there really is Love Lane. And
a pleasant walk it is, and proud shall I be to show it to yourself and
Mrs. Harry Walmers, Junior."

"Norah, dear," said Master Harry, "this is curious. We really ought to
see Love Lane. Put on your bonnet, my sweetest darling, and we will go
there with Cobbs."

Boots leaves me to judge what a Beast he felt himself to be, when that
young pair told him, as they all three jogg