in; a tall slim man,
with very white hair and a long narrow face; he carried a tall shiny
black silk hat in his hand; he wore a black suit, all of broadcloth, and
his coat hung to his knees and was buttoned to the top; his cuffs and
collar and shirt were of beautiful white linen with a gloss, and his tie
was a little white linen bow. He came forward with an air of warm
benevolence.

"My dear, _dear_ friends!" he said, and stretched out both hands towards
the company, as if to clasp them all to his heart. "What a beautiful,
beautiful scene! So homelike, so cosy, so sociable, so--so--What can be
so beautiful as the gathering together of friends about the family
hearth! _So_ beautiful!" There was a Latrobe stove in the room, but no
hearth; however, that made no difference; he went, with his hands
outstretched, to Aunt Amanda, and pressed one of hers in both of his.

The Old Codger with the Wooden Leg immediately sidled up to him, and
while he was still pressing Aunt Amanda's hand, said, in a confidential
tone:

"Ahem! I'm delighted to see you again. I trust you are well. The fact
is, I find that I have--er--left my tobacco pouch at home,--most
unfortunate; very seldom forget it; completely lost without it; I was
wondering--er--ahem!--if you happened to have such a thing about you as
a--"

"No!" said the other old man, changing at once from beaming benevolence
to stern severity. "I'll be hanged if I do!" And he released Aunt
Amanda's hand, and turned his back on the Old Codger with the Wooden
Leg.

"Now," said Toby, "let's look at the map. This here is Mr. Punch, and
this is Freddie."

The newcomer took Mr. Punch's hand in both of his and squeezed it
softly; he then took Freddie's hand in both of his and pressed it
tenderly. Freddie knew him. He was the "other Old Codger, as sly as a
fox, who always had tobacco in his old tobacco-box." Freddie could
hardly believe that that white-haired old gentleman could be as sly as a
fox.

"My dear, _dear_ friends!" said the Sly Old Fox. "What is so beautiful
as the love of friends?" He stopped to glare at the Old Codger with the
Wooden Leg, who looked away nervously. "The love of friends! Gathered
together around the family hearth! How beautiful! It touches me, my
friends, it touches me----"

"That's all right about that," said Toby. "For heaven's _sake_, let's
look at the map!"

Aunt Amanda spread out the map on the table beside her, and the others
gathered round.

"It