leg broke--four orments, all crack--one
ormlu clock (won't go)"--could transparent honesty go further than this?

Moreover Mr. Scorer asked me casually, "Did you know Mr. William Henry
Sawyer, Esquire, of the 'Ome Office?"

I did not. My acquaintance does not as a rule extend to the Home Office.

"A nice gentleman, 'e is. Been 'ere in this 'ouse every year for the
last five years. 'E comes early, about May, and sometimes again in
October."

"It is good to be Mr. William Henry Sawyer, Esquire, of the Home
Office," I said. I am a fairly truthful man as men go, and I never spoke
a truer word than that, but that knowledge only came to me later.

I was delighted with Mr. Joseph Scorer, and with his receipt in my
pocket and my two pounds in his, I went home on the Monday morning
triumphant, and on the Monday evening whistled myself into the bosom of
my family to the tune of "See, the conquering hero comes."

[Illustration: "I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE A HEAP OF LUGGAGE."]

I gave a detailed description of my adventures to my receptive family
circle, and when my wife heard Mr. Scorer's last message, "I will come
over the day before you are coming in, and have the place put in order,
and will have a fire on in the kitchen for you," she labelled him
"treasure," and vowed we would keep on going there every year.

"I wish I had remembered to ask you to tell him to get in some coals,
and milk, and bread," she said, regretfully.

"I did," I answered, triumphantly. "He suggested we would want them, and
I paid him for them, and for oil for the lamps too, so that's all
right."

"You have done well," said my wife, and I thought so myself.

August 12th found us duly landed at Eastnor station, and furtively
raking out our belongings from the piles of other people's. At last they
were all collected, and I chartered a carriage and a porter's cart to
convey us and our luggage to Sandybank Cottage.

Mr. Joseph Scorer met us at the door, and we forthwith took possession.
The kitchen fire was lighted, the coal was there, and the milk, and the
bread, and oil.

Everything was as nice as it could be.

The luggage was carried in, and we settled down to a month's solid
enjoyment and undisputed possession of our new abode.

Mr. Scorer was solicitous of our comfort. He altered the inventory in
one or two minor points, in respect of articles broken by our
predecessors. He dug enough potatoes for next week's dinners, and cut
two plump cabb