pull out his money;
and Alphabet, with a grin of triumph, at last allowed him to enter.

"Is Mr. Reading at home?" asked Dick.

"He is just within," said the dwarf; "if you'll look over the papers for
a minute, I'll go and tell him that you are waiting."

CHAPTER VI.

MR. READING'S FINE SHOP.

"Well, Mr. Reading keeps a splendid assortment indeed!" exclaimed Dick,
looking round the immense shop with delight. "There are such lots of
fine papers here that the only difficulty will be which to choose!"

"I know what I will choose!" cried Matty; "that paper all covered with
pretty little fairies!"

"It is but a poor paper; I cannot in conscience recommend it for wear,"
said Mr. Reading, who at that instant made his appearance from an inner
part of the shop.

"Oh, but it is charming!" cried Matty; "I should care for no paper like
that."

"And I see what I like best!" exclaimed Dick; "there's the jolliest
paper that ever was made; don't you see it, up in that corner?--sets of
cannibals dancing round a fire!"

"That's the Robinson Crusoe pattern," observed Mr. Reading, "a great
favourite with young customers of mine."

"That's the paper for my money!" cried Dick; "I never saw anything more
to my mind!"

Nelly and Lubin then chose their patterns, the former thinking what
would please the taste of her mother, the latter what would cost least
of his Time money; for the lazy rogue grudged every hour that he gave to
reading.

A difficulty came into Nelly's mind. "We are to paper our rooms
ourselves," said she; "how can we do so, having nothing with which we
can fasten the paper on firmly?"

"I've the paste of Attention at your service," said Reading; "you will
find nothing more certain to stick on a paper than that. You shall carry
home a can of it to-day."

"And there is another thing which we must remember," observed Lubin, who
had a sensible and reflecting mind, though too lazy to make much use of
it; "as our walls are higher of course than ourselves, we must have a
ladder to lift us to the higher parts of them."

"I can supply that want also," cried the ready Mr. Reading, who seemed
to take pleasure in serving his young guests; "I've the magic ladder of
Spelling, and I am willing to let it on hire."

"Let's see this ladder," said Dick.

At a word from his master, Alphabet, the stout little dwarf, withdrew
into an inner part of the dwelling, and soon re-appeared, lugging with
him a ladder which w