only after
much remonstrance and persuasion, and even then, he usually left an
unpleasant flavour of his visit behind him.

But there were some abodes in which our hero met with no opposition at
all, where the inmates scarcely made any attempt to keep him out, but
remained still and trembled, or moaned feebly, while he walked in and
sat down beside them.

Jack was somewhat of a deceiver too. He had, for the most part, a
bright, beaming, jovial outward aspect, which made the bitter coldness
of his heart all the more terrible by contrast. He was most deadly in
his feelings in calm weather, but there were occasions when he took
pleasure in sallying forth accompanied by his like-minded sons, Colonel
Wind and Major Snow. And it was a tremendous sight, that few people
cared to see except through windows, when those three, arm-in-arm, went
swaggering through the land together.

One Christmas morning, at the time we write of, Jack and his two sons
went careering, in a happy-go-lucky sort of way, along the London
streets towards the "west end," blinding people's eyes as they went,
reversing umbrellas, overturning old women, causing young men to
stagger, and treating hats in general as if they had been black
footballs. Turning into Saint James's Park they rushed at the royal
palace, but, finding that edifice securely guarded from basement to
roof-tree, they turned round, and, with fearless audacity, assaulted the
Admiralty and the Horse-Guards--taking a shot at the clubs in passing.
It need scarcely be recorded that they made no impression whatever on
those centres of wealth and power.

Undismayed--for Jack and his sons knew nothing either of fear or
favour--they went careering westward until they came to a palatial
mansion, at the half-open front door of which a pretty servant girl
stood peeping out. It was early. Perhaps she was looking for the
milkman--possibly for the policeman. With that quick perception which
characterises men of war, Major Snow saw and seized his opportunity.
Dashing forward he sprang into the hall. Colonel Wind, not a whit less
prompt, burst the door wide open, and the three assailants tumbled over
each other as they took possession of the outworks of the mansion.

But "Jeames" was not far distant. The screams of Mary drew him forth,
he leaped into the hall, drove out the intruders, and shut the door with
a crash, but with no further damage to the foe than the snipping off
part of Major Sno