Esq.," I remember was practically my mother's work-box. The
"Drayton Estates" yielded apparently nothing but apples, a fruit of
which my father was fond; while "Mortgages" it was not until later in
life I discovered had no connection with poems in manuscript, some in
course of correction, others completed.

Now, as the door opened, he rose and came towards us. His hair stood up
from his head, for it was a habit of his to rumple it as he talked; and
this added to his evident efforts to compose his face into an expression
of businesslike gravity, added emphasis, if such were needed, to the
suggestion of the over long schoolboy making believe.

"This is the youngster," said my father, taking me from my mother, and
passing me on. "Tall for his age, isn't he?"

With a twist of his thick lips, he rolled the evil-smelling cigar he was
smoking from the left corner of his mouth to the right; and held out a
fat and not too clean hand, which, as it closed round mine, brought to
my mind the picture of the walrus in my natural history book; with the
other he flapped me kindly on the head.

"Like 'is mother, wonderfully like 'is mother, ain't 'e?" he observed,
still holding my hand. "And that," he added with a wink of one of his
small eyes towards my father, "is about the 'ighest compliment I can pay
'im, eh?"

His eyes were remarkably small, but marvellously bright and piercing; so
much so that when he turned them again upon me I tried to think quickly
of something nice about him, feeling sure that he could see right into
me.

"And where are you thinkin' of sendin' 'im?" he continued; "Eton or
'Arrow?"

"We haven't quite made up our minds as yet," replied my father; "at
present we are educating him at home."

"You take my tip," said the fat man, "and learn all you can. Look at
me! If I'd 'ad the opportunity of being a schollard I wouldn't be here
offering your father an extravagant price for doin' my work; I'd be able
to do it myself."

"You seem to have got on very well without it," laughed my father;
and in truth his air of prosperity might have justified greater
self-complacency. Rings sparkled on his blunt fingers, and upon the
swelling billows of his waistcoat rose and sank a massive gold cable.

"I'd 'ave done better with it," he grunted.

"But you look very clever," I said; and though divining with a child's
cuteness that it was desired I should make a favourable impression upon
him, I hoped this would please h