--"

"Are ye used to butter?"

"Oh, I've a decided taste for it!"

"Know much about it?"

"Certainly--it is a yellowish, fatty substance concocted by human agency
supposedly from the lacteous secretion of the graminivorous quadruped
familiarly known as the common (or garden) cow."

"Land sakes!" said Mrs. Trapes, drawing a deep breath, "you sure do know
something about it. Ever worked in it before?"

"Only with my teeth."

"Oh--quit your jollying, Mr. Geoffrey, if you want me t' help you!"

"Solemn as an owl, Mrs. Trapes!"

"Well, then, there's Jacob Pffeffenfifer wants a young man in his
delicatessen store."

"Mrs. Trapes, I can slice ham and beef with any one on earth."

"D' ye understand picklin' and seasonin'?"

"Ah, there you have me again; I fear I don't."

"Then you ain't no good to Jacob Pffeffenfifer!"

"On second thoughts, I'm not wholly sorry," answered Ravenslee gravely.
"You see, a name like that would worry me, it would shake my nerve; I
might cut beef instead of ham, or ham instead of--"

"Mr. Geoffrey!" quoth Mrs. Trapes, squaring her elbows.

"Sober as a judge, Mrs. Trapes and--by Jupiter!"

"My land! What is it?"

"An idea--look!" and Ravenslee pointed down into the yard.

"Why, it's only Tony!" said Mrs. Trapes, glancing down a vista of
riotous garments.

"Precisely," answered Ravenslee, rising and stretching his long arms,
"Tony has solved my difficulty; I'll go into the peanut trade."

"What? Sell peanuts? You?"

"Why not? 'Man is born--' you know."

"But--my land! Only dagos and guinneys sells peanuts!"

"Splendid! I shall be the exception, Mrs. Trapes. Anyway, a peanut man
I'll be!" And catching up his disreputable hat, Ravenslee nodded and
left his landlady staring after him and murmuring "well!" at intervals.
Presently she reached for her iron, stone-cold long since, and stood
awhile clutching it in bony fingers and staring at nothing in
particular.

"He's sure a man, Hermy my dear!" she said at last, nodding at the
stuffed parrot in the corner. "I've watched him careful and I know. And
there's some things better than money, my dear--ah, much better! So if I
should help to bring you into his arms--man an' wife, my dear--why, I
guess it would be the best thing Anne Angelina Trapes ever done--yes,
mam!" Saying which, she went back to her ironing.

On the stairs Ravenslee met Spike, who hailed him joyously.

"Say, Geoff, I'm all alone to-night; come an' eat supper