thought I'd
ask if that was where you wished it kep' in future. For, though no
amount o' polish could make it what I call a tasty thing, it's neither
horniment nor yet useful where it is at present."

"Oh," said Horace, rather relieved, for he had an ill-defined dread from
her opening words that the bottle might have been misbehaving itself in
some way. "Put it wherever you please, Mrs. Rapkin; do whatever you like
with it--so long as I don't see the thing again!"

"Very good, sir; I on'y thought I'd ask the question," said Mrs. Rapkin,
as she closed the door upon herself.

Altogether, Horace walked to Great Cloister Street that morning in a
fairly cheerful mood and amiably disposed, even towards the Jinnee. With
all his many faults, he was a thoroughly good-natured old devil--very
superior in every way to the one the Arabian Nights fisherman found in
_his_ bottle.

"Ninety-nine Jinn out of a hundred," thought Horace, "would have turned
nasty on finding benefit after benefit 'declined with thanks.' But one
good point in Fakrash is that he _does_ take a hint in good part, and,
as soon as he can be made to see where he's wrong, he's always ready to
set things right. And he thoroughly understands now that these Oriental
dodges of his won't do nowadays, and that when people see a penniless
man suddenly wallowing in riches they naturally want to know how he came
by them. I don't suppose he will trouble me much in future. If he should
look in now and then, I must put up with it. Perhaps, if I suggested it,
he wouldn't mind coming in some form that would look less outlandish. If
he would get himself up as a banker, or a bishop--the Bishop of Bagdad,
say--I shouldn't care how often he called. Only, I can't have him coming
down the chimney in either capacity. But he'll see that himself. And
he's done me one real service--I mustn't let myself forget that. He sent
me old Wackerbath. By the way, I wonder if he's seen my designs yet, and
what he thinks of them."

He was at his table, engaged in jotting down some rough ideas for the
decoration of the reception-rooms in the projected house, when Beevor
came in.

"I've got nothing doing just now," he said; "so I thought I'd come in
and have a squint at those plans of yours, if they're forward enough to
be seen yet."

Ventimore had to explain that even the imperfect method of examination
proposed was not possible, as he had despatched the drawings to his
client the night befor