himself out
of the window, only that he saw it was not big enough for a baby to get
through. He turned aghast at the monstrous object which his little glass
presented to him; and sank down upon the bed with the feeling that he
was now fit for death. As before, Mrs. Squallop made her appearance with
his kettle for breakfast. He was sitting at the table dressed, and with
his arms folded, with a reckless air, not at all caring to conceal the
new and still more frightful change which he had undergone since she saw
him last. Mrs. Squallop stared at him for a second or two in silence;
then, stepping back out of the room, suddenly drew to the door, and
stood outside, laughing vehemently.

"I'll kick you down-stairs!" shouted Titmouse, rushing to the door pale
with fury, and pulling it open.

"Mr.--Mr.--Titmouse, you'll be the death of me--you will--you will!"
gasped Mrs. Squallop, almost black in the face, and the water running
out of the kettle, which she was unconsciously holding aslant. After a
while, however, they got reconciled. Mrs. Squallop had fancied he had
been but rubbing chalk on his eyebrows and whiskers; and seemed
dismayed, indeed, on hearing the true state of the case. He implored her
to send out for a small bottle of ink; but as it was Sunday morning none
could be got;--she knew that no one in the court used ink, and she
teased him to try a little _blacking_! He did--but it was useless!--He
sat for an hour or two, in an ecstasy of grief and rage. What would he
now have given never to have meddled with the hair which Heaven had
thought fit to send him into the world with? Alas, with what mournful
force Mrs. Squallop's words again and again recurred to him! To say that
he ate breakfast would be scarcely correct. He drank a single cup of
cocoa, and ate a small fragment of roll, and then put away his breakfast
things on the window shelf. If he had been in the humor to go to church,
how could he? He would have been turned out as an object involuntarily
exciting everybody to laughter!

Yet, poor soul, in this extremity of misery, he was not utterly
neglected; for he had that morning quite a little levee. First came Mr.
Snap, who, having quite as keen and clear an eye for his own interest as
his senior partners, had early seen how capable was an acquaintance with
Titmouse of being turned to his (Snap's) great advantage. He had come,
therefore, dressed very stylishly, to do a little bit of toadying on the
sly, (on