arm
and red.

"Well, young gentlemen," I said, "you seem to be enjoying yourselves."
No answer. "I appear to be so fortunate as to afford you some
gratification," I went on, in my sarcastic manner. "Perhaps you would do
me the honour of stepping into my poor apartment?" Again no answer, but
more undisguised amusement. I was thinking out a really withering
remark, when one of them said:

"Do look at his nose. I wonder if they know how ridiculous they are. I
_should_ like to talk to one of them for five minutes."

"Well," I said, "that can be managed very easily, and I assure you I
should be equally glad of the opportunity. _My_ remarks would deal with
the subject of good manners."

Another one spoke this time, but did not answer me. "Oh, I don't know,"
he said, "I expect they're pretty stupid. They look it--at least this
one does."

"Can they talk?" said the third. "I've never heard 'em."

"No, but you can see them moving their jaws and mouths and things. This
one did just now."

I saw how it was now, and, becoming cooler, I recognized that these
youths were behaving very much as I might have done myself in the
presence of someone who I was sure could neither see nor hear me. I even
smiled. One of them pointed at me at once:

"Thought of a joke, I s'pose. Don't keep it all to yourself, old chap."

At this moment the fourth, who had not said anything so far, but seemed
to have been listening, piped up: "I say! I believe I know what it is
that makes that hammering noise: it's something he has got in his
clothes."

I could not resist this. "Right again," I said; "it's my watch, and
you're very welcome to look at it." And I took it out and put it on the
window-sill.

An awful horror and surprise came into their faces. In a second they had
dived down like so many ducks. In another second I saw them walking
across the grass, and each of them threw his arms round the waist or the
neck of one of the elder people who were walking about among the houses.
The person so attacked pulled himself up and listened attentively to
what the boy was saying. The particular one I was watching looked
towards my window and then burst out laughing, slapped the boy on the
back, and resumed his walk. The boy went slowly off towards one of the
houses. One or two of the other "men" came and stood nearer to the
window, looking up. I thought I would venture a bow, and made one rather
ceremoniously. It did not produce much effect, and I c