ind him at home to-morrow, if I
call?"

"Certainly, sir; certainly; leastwise I should say so. Any personal
acquaintance with Mr. Mason, sir? If so, I meant nothing offensive by
my allusion to the lady, sir; nothing at all, I can assure you."

"The lady's nothing to me, sir; nor the gentleman either;--only that
I have a little business with him."

"Shall be very happy to join you in a gig, sir, to-morrow, as far
as Groby Park; or fly, if more convenient. I shall only take a few
patterns with me, and they're no weight at all,--none in the least,
sir. They go on behind, and you wouldn't know it, sir." To this,
however, Mr. Dockwrath would not assent. As he wanted to see Mr.
Mason very specially, he should go early, and preferred going by
himself.

"No offence, I hope," said Mr. Kantwise.

"None in the least," said Mr. Dockwrath.

"And if you would allow me, sir, to have the pleasure of showing you
a few of my patterns, I'm sure I should be delighted." This he said
observing that Mr. Moulder was sitting over his empty glass with the
pipe in his hand, and his eyes fast closed. "I think, sir, I could
show you an article that would please you very much. You see, sir,
that new ideas are coming in every day, and wood, sir, is altogether
going out,--altogether going out as regards furniture. In another
twenty years, sir, there won't be such a thing as a wooden table
in the country, unless with some poor person that can't afford to
refurnish. Believe me, sir, iron's the thing now-a-days."

"And indian-rubber," said Dockwrath.

"Yes; indian-rubber's wonderful too. Are you in that line, sir?"

"Well; no; not exactly."

"It's not like iron, sir. You can't make a dinner-table for fourteen
people out of indian-rubber, that will shut up into a box 3-6 by
2-4 deep, and 2-6 broad. Why, sir, I can let you have a set of
drawing-room furniture for fifteen ten that you've never seen
equalled in wood for three times the money;--ornamented in the
tastiest way, sir, and fit for any lady's drawing-room or boodoor.
The ladies of quality are all getting them now for their boodoors.
There's three tables, eight chairs, easy rocking-chair, music-stand,
stool to match, and pair of stand-up screens, all gilt in real Louey
catorse; and it goes in three boxes 4-2 by 2-1 and 2-3. Think of
that, sir. For fifteen ten and the boxes in." Then there was a pause,
after which Mr. Kantwise added--"If ready money, the carriage paid."
And then he turn