t she resembled her mother, who was the only other stupid
member of Mr Sudberry's family. Being deeply impressed with the fact
of her ignorance and stupidity, Mrs Sudberry went on the tack of boldly
admitting the same, and holding, or affecting to hold, ability and
general acquirements in contempt.

Mrs Brown was a female dragon, nurse to Master Jacky and Miss Tilly;
she tormented the former, whom she disliked, and spoiled the latter,
whom she loved.

Hobbs was the man-servant of the family. He was characterised chiefly
by a tendency to drop his h's in conversation, out of words to which
they naturally belonged, and to pick them up and insert them in the most
contradictory manner, in words with which they had no connection
whatever. He was also marked by the strong regard and esteem which he
had for his master and family; the stronger regard and esteem which he
had for himself; and the easy, good-humoured way in which he regarded
the remainder of the world at large as an inferior order of beings.

As for Peter, he has already been described as the timid clerk of humble
origin, whose chief duties, while in London, were to wipe up ink and
clear away _debris_. He had been taken with the family to act the part
of a page in buttons without the buttons--and to make himself generally
useful. Hitherto the page's bosom had, since leaving London, been a
chamber of indescribable terrors. Truly, if, as is said, the
anticipation of death be worse than the reality, poor Peter must have
suffered a prolonged and continuous death during the last few days.
Never having been on a railway before, the first shriek of the whistle
pierced him like a knife, the shock of starting rent him,
(figuratively), like a thunderbolt. Thereafter, every passing train was
an excruciating arrow in his quivering heart, every tunnel was a plunge
into the horrible anticipation that "here it was coming at last!" But
Peter's trials were now, for a time, he fondly hoped, at an end. Poor
boy! he little knew what was in store for him.

STORY ONE, CHAPTER 4.

FIRST COMERS SERVED FIRST, ETCETERA.

When Mr Sudberry reached the breakfast parlour, and put his head in at
the door to see whether his faithful wife were there, he was struck
absolutely dumb by the amazing _tableau vivant_ that met his vision.

There was nothing in the aspect of the room itself to surprise him. It
was homely and neat. The table was spread with a clean white cloth, on
wh