large shining black eyes repeatedly on Mr. Walker.

"I won't leave the room," said he, coming forward with the heated iron
in his hand, and smoothing it on the brown paper with all the dexterity
of a professor (for the fact is, Mr. W. every morning curled his own
immense whiskers with the greatest skill and care)--"I won't leave the
room, Eglantine my boy. My lady here took me for a hairdresser, and so,
you know, I've a right to stay."

"He can't stay," said Mrs. Crump, all of a sudden, blushing as red as a
peony.

"I shall have on my peignoir, Mamma," said Miss, looking at the
gentleman, and then dropping down her eyes and blushing too.

"But he can't stay, 'Gina, I tell you: do you think that I would, before
a gentleman, take off my--"

"Mamma means her FRONT!" said Miss, jumping up, and beginning to laugh
with all her might; at which the honest landlady of the "Bootjack," who
loved a joke, although at her own expense, laughed too, and said that no
one, except Mr. Crump and Mr. Eglantine, had ever seen her without the
ornament in question.

"DO go now, you provoking thing, you!" continued Miss C. to Mr. Walker;
"I wish to hear the hoverture, and it's six o'clock now, and we shall
never be done against then:" but the way in which Morgiana said "DO go,"
clearly indicated "don't" to the perspicacious mind of Mr. Walker.

"Perhaps you 'ad better go," continued Mr. Eglantine, joining in this
sentiment, and being, in truth, somewhat uneasy at the admiration which
his "swell friend" excited.

"I'll see you hanged first, Eggy my boy! Go I won't, until these ladies
have had their hair dressed: didn't you yourself tell me that Miss
Crump's was the most beautiful hair in Europe? And do you think that
I'll go away without seeing it? No, here I stay."

"You naughty wicked odious provoking man!" said Miss Crump. But, at the
same time, she took off her bonnet, and placed it on one of the side
candlesticks of Mr. Eglantine's glass (it was a black-velvet bonnet,
trimmed with sham lace, and with a wreath of nasturtiums, convolvuluses,
and wallflowers within), and then said, "Give me the peignoir, Mr.
Archibald, if you please;" and Eglantine, who would do anything for her
when she called him Archibald, immediately produced that garment, and
wrapped round the delicate shoulders of the lady, who, removing a sham
gold chain which she wore on her forehead, two brass hair-combs set with
glass rubies, and the comb which kept her bac