n their return to Cove.

The little cottage had undergone so many changes during the past few
months that it is doubtful whether its rightful owner would have
recognised his own property,--internally at least; externally it
remained unaltered.

Having, with much pains, ascertained that she might venture to launch
out pretty freely in the way of expenditure without becoming absolutely
bankrupt, Mrs Gaff had supplied herself with a handsome new grate, a
large proportion of which was of polished brass, that cost herself and
Tottie much of their time to keep clean and brilliant; there were also
fender and fire-irons to match, adorned with brass knobs and points,
which latter were the special admiration of Tottie. There was a carpet,
too, straight from the looms of Turkey--as the man who sold it informed
Mrs Gaff--which was the admiration of all Cove, for it was divided into
squares of brilliant colours, with huge red roses in the centre of each.
It was positively a superb, a resplendent, carpet, and rejoiced the
hearts and eyes of Mrs Gaff and her child every time they looked at it,
which you may be sure was pretty often. It kept them indeed in a
constant state of nervous dread lest they should spill or capsize
anything upon it, and in this respect might almost be said to have
rendered their lives a burden, but they bore up under it with surprising
cheerfulness.

There was also a new eight-day clock, with a polished mahogany case and
a really white face, which by contrast made the old Dutch clock more
yellow and bilious than ever, and if possible more horrified in its
expression. Mrs Gaff had allowed the old clock to retain its corner,
wisely concluding that it would be a pleasantly familiar sight and sound
to her husband and son when they returned. It was quite apparent to the
meanest capacity that there was a rivalry between the two timepieces;
for, being both rather good timekeepers, they invariably struck the
hours at the same time, but the new clock struck with such a loud
overbearing ring that the old one was quite overpowered. The latter had
the advantage, however, of getting the first two strokes before the
other began, besides which it prefaced its remarks every hour with a
mysterious hissing and whirring sound that the new clock could not have
got up to save its life.

There were also half-a-dozen new cane chairs. The shopman who had sold
Mrs Gaff the carpet told her that they would look more elegant and