the
servants to occupy the drawing-room."

Ned viewed this new proposition with grave and philosophic aspect, for
the space of two minutes, and then gave it as the result of his
cogitation that he "didn't know but he should prefer that arrangement
after all."

Just then Charlie, guided by their laughter, came blundering down the
stairs, and not being familiar with the way, took a wrong turning, and
much to his astonishment found himself in an apartment, which was
evidently a store-room of some description. Hastily groping his way
back, he made an essay in another direction, and dived into a passage
which ultimately landed him in a coal-cellar. On returning from this
second unsuccessful expedition he discovered a door in the passage which
he opened. Merely pausing to assure himself that it wasn't a cupboard,
he stepped confidently out, and was precipitated into the kitchen, in a
manner more expeditious than dignified, or even comfortable.

"Good gracious! Whatever _can_ that be!" exclaimed Minnie, starting up,
and running to the rescue, while the others followed with various
appropriate and characteristic remarks of an ejaculatory description.

"O, don't disturb yourselves for the world--it isn't worth your
while--_now_!" they were assured in the familiar tones of Charlie. "A
nice set of people, you," he continued, when he had seated himself in
the chair Ned had vacated in his astonishment. "To sit here comfortably
and listen to a fellow searching about for the kitchen till it might as
well be in the North West Passage for all the chance he has of finding
it."

"We heard you come down stairs," explained Minnie when she could speak
again, the rest were too much overcome with amusement to offer any
observations whatever. "But we thought you had changed your mind and
gone back when you didn't make your appearance." And she went off into
another fit of merriment.

"Well, now that I _am_ here at last--my dangers and perils at an
end--won't any of you show your charity to a poor shipwrecked and
tempest-tossed mariner, by pitching over half-a-dozen of those apples?
Remarkably snug quarters these, to be sure! Quite worth the trouble I
had in finding them."

"No doubt," returned Ned, finding himself deprived of his comfortable
position, "when you manage to usurp another fellow's place. Remarkably
snug, indeed!"

"Glad to find you're of the same opinion, old fellow, I rather imagined
you wouldn't be so enthusiastic for