the smith in the
village will put that to rights in five minutes. He lives so close to
you that I didn't think it worth while to have him up here."

"It's very nice," said Mrs. Green, looking round her almost in
dismay.

"Very nice indeed," said Mr. Green, wondering in his mind for
what purpose such utter trash could have been manufactured, and
endeavouring to make up his mind as to what they might possibly do
with it. Mr. Green knew what chairs and tables should be, and was
well aware that the things before him were absolutely useless for any
of the ordinary purposes of furniture.

"And they are the most convenient things in the world," said Mrs.
Mason, "for when you are going to change house you pack them all up
again in those boxes. Wooden furniture takes up so much room, and is
so lumbersome."

"Yes, it is," said Mrs. Green.

"I'll have them all put up again and sent down in the cart
to-morrow."

"Thank you; that will be very kind," said Mr. Green, and then the
ceremony of the presentation was over. On the following day the boxes
were sent down, and Mrs. Mason might have abstracted even another
chair without detection, for the cases lay unheeded from month to
month in the curate's still unfurnished room. "The fact is they
cannot afford a carpet," Mrs. Mason afterwards said to one of her
daughters, "and with such things as those they are quite right to
keep them up till they can be used with advantage. I always gave Mrs.
Green credit for a good deal of prudence."

And then, when the show was over, they descended again into the
drawing-room,--Mr. Green and Mrs. Mason went first, and Creusa
followed. Penelope was thus so far behind as to be able to speak to
her friend without being heard by the others.

"You know mamma," she said, with a shrug of her shoulders and a look
of scorn in her eye.

"The things are very nice."

"No, they are not, and you know they are not. They are worthless;
perfectly worthless."

"But we don't want anything."

"No; and if there had been no pretence of a gift it would all have
been very well. What will Mr. Green think?"

"I rather think he likes iron chairs;" and then they were in the
drawing-room.

Mr. Mason did not appear till dinner-time, and came in only just in
time to give his arm to Mrs. Green. He had had letters to write,--a
letter to Messrs. Round and Crook, very determined in its tone; and a
letter also to Mr. Dockwrath, for the little attorney had so crept on