ce would have sat by him all night, and would not have danced at
all of her own accord, but Paul made her, by telling her how much
it pleased him. And he told her the truth, too; for his small heart
swelled, and his face glowed, when he saw how much they all admired her,
and how she was the beautiful little rosebud of the room.

From his nest among the pillows, Paul could see and hear almost
everything that passed as if the whole were being done for his
amusement. Among other little incidents that he observed, he observed Mr
Baps the dancing-master get into conversation with Sir Barnet Skettles,
and very soon ask him, as he had asked Mr Toots, what you were to do
with your raw materials, when they came into your ports in return for
your drain of gold--which was such a mystery to Paul that he was quite
desirous to know what ought to be done with them. Sir Barnet Skettles
had much to say upon the question, and said it; but it did not appear
to solve the question, for Mr Baps retorted, Yes, but supposing Russia
stepped in with her tallows; which struck Sir Barnet almost dumb, for
he could only shake his head after that, and say, Why then you must fall
back upon your cottons, he supposed.

Sir Barnet Skettles looked after Mr Baps when he went to cheer up
Mrs Baps (who, being quite deserted, was pretending to look over the
music-book of the gentleman who played the harp), as if he thought him a
remarkable kind of man; and shortly afterwards he said so in those words
to Doctor Blimber, and inquired if he might take the liberty of asking
who he was, and whether he had ever been in the Board of Trade.
Doctor Blimber answered no, he believed not; and that in fact he was a
Professor of--'

'Of something connected with statistics, I'll swear?' observed Sir
Barnet Skettles.

'Why no, Sir Barnet,' replied Doctor Blimber, rubbing his chin. 'No, not
exactly.'

'Figures of some sort, I would venture a bet,' said Sir Barnet Skettles.

'Why yes,' said Doctor Blimber, yes, but not of that sort. Mr Baps is a
very worthy sort of man, Sir Barnet, and--in fact he's our Professor of
dancing.'

Paul was amazed to see that this piece of information quite altered Sir
Barnet Skettles's opinion of Mr Baps, and that Sir Barnet flew into
a perfect rage, and glowered at Mr Baps over on the other side of the
room. He even went so far as to D Mr Baps to Lady Skettles, in telling
her what had happened, and to say that it was like his most con-sum