probably have enlarged on her charms most of the evening. But she laid
special stress on this point, that I was to say as little as possible
about her beforehand, and fortunately I remembered it. Hartman thinks he
is going to have a safe and easy time with me and two highly respectable
ladies of sedate minds and settled habits. Sleep on, deluded James,
while I finish my cigar here on deck: dream of the forest and the trout
brooks, and your neighbor Hodge and your old tomcat. By to-morrow night
your mental horizon will be enlarged, and when you return to your castle
in the wilderness there will be some new sensations tugging at your
vitals. It will be a change for you, old man, and you needed one. Well,
I've given you enough to think of for now, and you'll get more before
you are a week older. I hope he will come through it right: it is like
taking one's friend to the surgeon to undergo an operation, when he
doesn't know that anything ails him or is going to be done. Poor old
Jim, I wouldn't have put up such a job on you if I didn't believe it was
for your good. I am not a pessimist like you: I believe in God and the
Princess.

VIII.

INTRODUCTION.

The drive from the wharf is too long: I often think that the older part
of the town ought to be submerged, or removed to one of the adjacent
islands. We met the family at breakfast, and I said, "Ladies, you see
before you a wild man of the woods, brought hither to be subdued and
civilized by your gentle ministrations. By the way, Mabel, there was a
corner in oil yesterday. I made fourteen thousand, and Simpkins went
under; so you can have that new gown now." They paid no attention
whatever to these pleasantries. Clarice was not there, or the sparkling
fount of humor would have flowed less freely.

Hartman has very good manners when he chooses, and in my house he would
naturally choose; so he got on well enough. The children took to him at
once, and he seemed to take to them. After breakfast I led him out for a
walk, to show him the points of interest. Several very creditable
cottages have been put up since he was here last: in fact, this is quite
a growing place, for the country. As we went back he suddenly said,
"Bob, who is this Clarice that your sister mentioned at the table? Fancy
name, isn't it?"

"O no," I said as indifferently as I could. He ought not to go springing
her on me in that way: it makes a man nervous. "She's an orphan; a sort
of cousin of Mrs