antwise. Mr. Kantwise was not exactly the man whom Moulder would
have chosen as his guest, for they were opposed to each other in
all their modes of thought and action; but he had come across the
travelling agent of the Patent Metallic Steel Furniture Company on
the previous day, and finding that he was to be alone in London on
this general holiday, he had asked him out of sheer good nature.
Moulder could be very good natured, and full of pity when the sorrow
to be pitied arose from some such source as the want of a Christmas
dinner. So Mr. Kantwise had been asked, and precisely at four o'clock
he made his appearance at Great St. Helens.

But now, as to this brother-in-law. He was no other than that John
Kenneby whom Miriam Usbech did not marry,--whom Miriam Usbech might,
perhaps, have done well to marry. John Kenneby, after one or two
attempts in other spheres of life, had at last got into the house
of Hubbles and Grease, and had risen to be their book-keeper. He
had once been tried by them as a traveller, but in that line he had
failed. He did not possess that rough, ready, self-confident tone
of mind which is almost necessary for a man who is destined to move
about quickly from one circle of persons to another. After a six
months' trial he had given that up, but during the time, Mr. Moulder,
the senior traveller of the house, had married his sister. John
Kenneby was a good, honest, painstaking fellow, and was believed
by his friends to have put a few pounds together in spite of the
timidity of his character.

When Snengkeld and Kenneby were shown up into the room, they found
nobody there but Kantwise. That Mrs. Moulder should be down stairs
looking after the roast turkey was no more than natural; but why
should not Moulder himself be there to receive his guests? He soon
appeared, however, coming up without his coat.

"Well, Snengkeld, how are you, old fellow; many happy returns, and
all that; the same to you, John. I'll tell you what, my lads; it's a
prime 'un. I never saw such a bird in all my days."

"What, the turkey?" said Snengkeld.

"You didn't think it'd be a ostrich, did you?"

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Snengkeld. "No, I didn't expect nothing but a
turkey here on Christmas-day."

"And nothing but a turkey you'll have, my boys. Can you eat turkey,
Kantwise?"

Mr. Kantwise declared that his only passion in the way of eating was
for a turkey.

"As for John, I'm sure of him. I've seen him at the work befo