Here there was the same perfect cleanliness, though the
furniture was scant and very simple. The round table was laid for tea,
with a spotless cloth, plates of a very demonstrative pattern, and
knives and forks which seemed only just to have left the ironmonger's
shop.

"We pass, you observe, Mr. Casti," cried the ex-teacher, "from the
region of commerce to that of domestic intimacy. Here Mrs. O'Gree
reigns supreme, as indeed she does in the other department, as far as
presiding genius goes. She's in all places at once, like a birrud! Mr.
Casti," in a whisper, "I shall have the pleasure of introducing you to
one of the most remarkable women it was ever your lot to meet; a
phenomenon of--"

The inner door opened, and the lady herself interrupted these eulogies.
Sally was charming. Her trim little body attired in the trimmest of
homely dresses, her sharp little face shining and just a little red
with excitement, her quick movements, her laughing eyes, her restless
hands graced with the new wedding-ring--all made up a picture of which
her husband might well be proud. He stood and gazed at her in frank
admiration; only when she sprang forward to shake hands with Waymark
did he recover himself sufficiently to go through the ceremony of
introducing Julian. It was done with all stateliness.

"An improvement this on the masters' room, eh, Waymark?" cried Mr.
O'Gree. Then, suddenly interrupting him self, "And that reminds me!
We've got a lodger."

"Already?"

"And who d'ye think? Who d'ye think? You wouldn't guess if you went on
till Christmas. Ho, ho, ho! I'm hanged if I tell you. Wait and see!"

"Shall I call him down?" asked Sally, who in the meantime had brought
in the tea-pot, and the crumpets, and a dish of slices from the round
of beef on the counter, and boiled eggs, and sundry other dainties.

O'Gree, unable to speak for mirth, nodded his head, and presently Sally
returned, followed by--Mr. Egger. Waymark scarcely recognised his old
friend, so much had the latter changed: instead of the old woe-begone
look, Egger's face wore a joyous smile, and his outer man was so vastly
improved that he had evidently fallen on a more lucrative profession.
Waymark remembered O'Gree's chance meeting with the Swiss, but had
heard nothing of him since; nor indeed had O'Gree till a day or two ago.

"How do things go?" Waymark inquired heartily. "Found a better school?"

"No, no, my friend," returned Egger, in his very bad Englis