there really? Do tell me, Hucky"----

"Why, first and foremost, how uncommon polite they are, (except that
they haven't manners enough to spell my name right)"----

"Really--and so they are!" exclaimed Titmouse, rather elatedly.

"And then, you see, there's another thing--if they'd meant to give the
thing the go-by altogether, what could have been easier than to say
so?--but they haven't said anything of the sort, so they don't _mean_ to
give it all up!"

"Lord, Huck! what would I give for such a head as yours! What you say is
quite true," said Titmouse, still more cheerfully.

"To be sure, they do say there's an _obstacle_--an obstacle, you
see--nay, it's obstacles, which is several, and that"---- Titmouse's
face fell.

"But they say again, that it's--it's--curse their big words--they say
it's--to be got over in time."

"Well--that's something, isn't it?"

"To be sure it is; and a'n't anything better than nothing? But then,
again, here's a stone in the other pocket--they say there's a
_circumstance_!--don't you hate circumstances, Titty?--I do."

"So do I!--What does it mean? I've often heard--isn't it a _thing_? And
that may be--anything."

"Oh, there's a great dif--hem! And they go on to say it's happened since
you was there"----

"Curse me, then, if that don't mean _you_, Huckaback!" interrupted
Titmouse, with returning anger.

"No, that can't be it; they said they'd no control over the
circumstance;--now they _had_ over me; for they ordered me to the door,
and I went; a'n't that so, Titty?--Lord, how my eye _does_ smart, to be
sure!"

"And don't I smart all over, inside and out, if it comes to that?"
inquired Titmouse, dolefully.

"There's nothing particular in the rest of the letter--only uncommon
civil, and saying if anything turns up you shall hear."

"_I_ could make that out myself--so there's nothing in that"--said
Titmouse, quickly.

"Well--if it _is_ all over--what a pity! Such things as we could have
done, Titty, if we'd got the thing--eh?"

Titmouse groaned at this glimpse of the heaven he seemed shut out of
forever.

"Can't you find anything--nothing at all comfortable-like, in the
letter?" he inquired with a deep sigh.

Huckaback again took up the letter and spelled it over.

"Well," said he, striving to give himself an appearance of thinking,
"there's something in it that, after all, I don't seem quite to get to
the bottom of--they've seemingly taken a deal of pains with it!"