ame to him.

"Good morning!" said he. "How have you rested?"

"I believe it's the best night I've had yet. What were you doing to me
in the night? using a sponge to me, weren't you? It put me to sleep. I
believe it would cure a man of a fever, by Jupiter."

"Not by Jupiter," said Mr. Shubrick. "And you must not say such things
while I am here."

"Why not?" Mr. Copley opened his eyes somewhat.

"It is no better than counterfeit swearing."

"Would you rather have the true thing?"

"I never permit either, where I am in authority?"

"Your authority can't reach far. You've got to take the world as you
find it."

"I dispute that. You've got to take the world and make it better."

"What do you do where your authority is not sufficient?"

"I go away."

"Look here," said Mr. Copley. "Do you call yourself in authority
_here?_"

"Those are the only terms on which I could stay," said Mr. Shubrick,
smiling.

"Well, see," said the other,--"I wish you would stay. You've done me
more good than all the doctor and everybody else before you."

"I come after them all, remember."

"I wish you had come before them. Women don't know anything. There's my
wife,--she would have let the room get to be like a Jew's old clothes
shop, and never be aware of it. I didn't know what was choking me so,
and now I know it was the confusion. You belong to the navy?"

"I told you so last evening," said Mr. Shubrick, who meanwhile was
sponging Mr. Copley's face and hands again and putting him in order
generally, so as a sick man's toilet might be made.

"By Jupiter!--I beg your pardon--I believe I am going to get over this,
after all," said Mr. Copley "I am sure I shall, if you'll stay and help
me."

"I will do it with pleasure. Now, what are you going to have for your
breakfast?"

"But, look here. Why should you stay with me? I am nothing to you.
Who's to pay you for it?"

"I do not come for pay; or rather, I get it as I go along. Make
yourself easy, and tell me about your breakfast."

"How do you come here? I don't know you. Who does know you?"

"I have been a friend of your friends, Mr. and Mrs. Thayer, for many
years."

"Humph. Ah! Well. About breakfast, I don't know what they have got for
me downstairs; some lolypop or other."

"We'll do better for you than that," said Mr. Shubrick.

The morning meanwhile had come to the other inmates of the house. Dolly
had left the sofa where she had spent the night, with a glad
cons