tags and other animals over
the doors.

'We'll just come into my study first,' said the Uncle, 'and wish each
other a Merry Christmas.' So then we knew he wasn't the butler, but it
must be his own house, for only the master of the house has a study.

His study was not much like Father's. It had hardly any books, but
swords and guns and newspapers and a great many boots, and boxes half
unpacked, with more Indian things bulging out of them.

We gave him our presents and he was awfully pleased. Then he gave us his
Christmas presents. You must be tired of hearing about presents, but
I must remark that all the Uncle's presents were watches; there was a
watch for each of us, with our names engraved inside, all silver except
H. O.'s, and that was a Waterbury, 'To match his boots,' the Uncle said.
I don't know what he meant.

Then the Uncle looked at Father, and Father said, 'You tell them, sir.'

So the Uncle coughed and stood up and made a speech. He said--

'Ladies and gentlemen, we are met together to discuss an important
subject which has for some weeks engrossed the attention of the
honourable member opposite and myself.'

I said, 'Hear, hear,' and Alice whispered, 'What happened to the
guinea-pig?' Of course you know the answer to that.

The Uncle went on--

'I am going to live in this house, and as it's rather big for me, your
Father has agreed that he and you shall come and live with me. And so,
if you're agreeable, we're all going to live here together, and, please
God, it'll be a happy home for us all. Eh!--what?'

He blew his nose and kissed us all round. As it was Christmas I did
not mind, though I am much too old for it on other dates. Then he said,
'Thank you all very much for your presents; but I've got a present here
I value more than anything else I have.'

I thought it was not quite polite of him to say so, till I saw that
what he valued so much was a threepenny-bit on his watch-chain, and, of
course, I saw it must be the one we had given him.

He said, 'You children gave me that when you thought I was the poor
Indian, and I'll keep it as long as I live. And I've asked some friends
to help us to be jolly, for this is our house-warming. Eh!--what?'

Then he shook Father by the hand, and they blew their noses; and then
Father said, 'Your Uncle has been most kind--most--'

But Uncle interrupted by saying, 'Now, Dick, no nonsense!' Then H. O.
said, 'Then you're not poor at all?' as if he were very