aid to live with you. I
don't exactly know what Chinese relics are, but I should love to see
them."

"Then quick, my dear, quick! We haven't a minute to spare. She's sure to
be down in a jiffy. Now then, step on tiptoe across the hall. Ann has
the quickest ears, and she invariably reports. She's not a nice girl,
Ann isn't. She hasn't the smallest taste for relics. My dear, there's an
education in this room, but no one, no one who comes to the house, cares
to receive it."

While the little man was talking, he was rushing across the wide hall,
and down a long passage, Flower's hand clasped in his. Finally he pushed
open a baize-lined door, hastily admitted himself and Flower, and closed
it behind them. The sanctum sanctorum was small, stuffy, dusty, dirty.
There were several chairs, but they were all piled with relics, two or
three tables were also crammed with tokens of the past. Flower was very
weary, the dust and dirt made her sneeze, and she looked longingly for
even the smallest corner of a chair on which to seat herself.

"I do want some breakfast so badly," she began.

"Breakfast! My love, you shall have it presently. Now then, we'll begin.
This case that I have just unpacked contains teeth and a small portion
of a jawbone. Ah! hark! what is that? She is coming already! Will that
woman never leave me in peace? My love, the object of my life, the one
object of my whole life, has been to benefit and educate the young. I
thought at last I had found a pupil, but, ah, I fear she is very angry!"

The sound of a sharp voice was heard echoing down the stairs and along
the passage, a sharp, high-pitched voice, accompanied by the sharper,
shriller barking of a small dog.

"Zeb! I say, Zeb! Zebedee, if you have taken that young girl into your
sanctum, I desire you to send her out this moment."

The little man's face grew pale; he pushed his spectacles still higher
on his forehead.

"There, my love, do you hear her? I did my best for you. I was beginning
your education."

"Zeb! Zeb! Open the door this minute," was shouted outside.

"You'll remember, my love, to your dying day, that I showed you three
teeth and the bit of jawbone of a Chinaman who died a thousand years
ago."

"Zeb!" thundered the voice.

"Yap! yap! yap!" barked the small dog.

"You must go, my dear. She's a powerful woman. She always has her way.
There, let me push you out. I wouldn't have her catch sight of me at
this moment for fifty pounds."