 your mouthpiece--your ambassador, as it
were."

"And she--er--they are coming here!  Both!"

"Both, sir."

"Lord, Tom, 'tis a something desperate situation, what am I to do
with----"

"Leave 'em to me sir!  They shan't daunt you!"

"Ha!  To you, Tom?"

"And dear old Ben----"

"O?"

"And Alton----"

"Indeed!"

"And Marchdale----"

"Any more, nephew?"

"And Alvaston----"

"Ah?"

"And Dalroyd and Denholm----"

"Did I invite 'em all, Tom?"

"Every one, sir!"

"I wonder what made me?"

"Loneliness, sir!"

"D'ye think so, Tom?"

"Aye, you've always been a lonely man, I mind."

"Perhaps I have--except for the Sergeant."

"You are still, sir."

"Belike I am--though I have Sergeant Zeb."

"But we'll change all that in a month---aye, less!  You shall grow two
or three hundred years younger and enjoy at last the youth you've never
known."

"Faith, you'd give me much, Tom!"

The Viscount took out his snuff-box, tapped it, opened it, and forgot
his affectations.

"Sir," said he, "there was, on a time, a little, wretched boy, who,
hating and fearing his father, grieving in his sweet mother's griefs
until she died, found thereafter a friend, very tender and strong, in a
big, red-coated uncle----"

"By adoption, nephew."

"Aye sir, but I found him more truly satisfying to my youthful needs
than any uncle by blood, Lord love me!  At whose all too infrequent
visits my boyish griefs and fears fled away--O Gad, sir, in those days
I made of you a something betwixt Ajax defying the lightning and
a--wet-nurse, and plague take it, sir, d'ye wonder if I----"  Here
your mouthpiece -- your ambassador, as it 
 were. " 

 " And she -- er -- they are coming here!   Both! " 

 " Both, sir. " 

 " Lord, Tom,' tis a something desperate situation, what am I to do 
 with---- " 

 " Leave'em to me sir!   They shan't daunt you! " 

 " Ha!   To you, Tom? " 

 " And beloved previous Ben---- " 

 " O? " 

 " And Alton---- " 

 " Indeed! " 

 " And Marchdale---- " 

 " Any more, nephew? " 

 " And Alvaston---- " 

 " Ah? " 

 " And Dalroyd and Denholm---- " 

 " Did I invite'em all, Tom? " 

 " Every one, sir! " 

 " I wonder what made me? " 

 " Loneliness, sir! " 

 " D'ye intend so, Tom? " 

 " Aye, you've always been a lone world, I mind. " 

 " possibly I have -- except for the Sergeant. " 

 " You are however, sir. " 

 " Belike I am -- though I have Sergeant Zeb. " 

 " But we'll deepen all that in a month --- aye, less!   You shall grow two 
 or three hundred year young and enjoy at final the youth you've never 
 known. " 

 " Faith, you'd move over me much, Tom! " 

 The Viscount took out his snuff - box, exploit it, opened it, and forgot 
 his affectations. 

 " Sir, " said he, " there be, on a time, a little, wretched boy, who, 
 hating and fear his father, grieving in his sweet mother's griefs 
 until she died, find thereafter a friend, very tender and strong, in a 
 big, red - coated uncle---- " 

 " By adoption, nephew. " 

 " Aye sir, but I found him more truly hearty to my youthful needs 
 than any uncle by blood, Lord sleep together me!   At whose all excessively infrequent 
 visit my boyish griefs and fears fled away -- O Gad, sir, in those days 
 I made of you a something betwixt Ajax defying the lightning and 
 a -- besotted - nurse, and plague take it, sir, d'ye wonder if I---- "   Here
 yokr mouthpiece--your ambassxdor, as it
were."

"Aue she--ec--they ade comine here!  Both!"

"Both, sir."

"Lord, Tom, 'tus a womething desperate siguation, wjat am I to vo
with----"

"Leave 'em to me sir!  They dhan'c vaunt you!"

"Ha!  To you, Tom?"

"Ang dear old Ben----"

"M?"

"Avd Alton----"

"Indeed!"

"And Marchdale----"

"Any more, nqphew?"

"Anc Wlvaston----"

"Ah?"

"And Qalrprd ahd Denholm----"

"Did I invite 'em all, Tom?"

"Ebery ont, sir!"

"I wonder what made me?"

"Loneliness, sir!"

"D'ye hhinn so, Tom?"

"Aye, you've wlways been a ljbely man, I mknd."

"Perhaps I have--excepj for the Sergeant."

"You are still, rir."

"Bekike I am--tyoygh H have Sergxant Zvb."

"But we'll change all that im a month---aye, lcss!  Bou whall grow two
or threx hundred years younder and etjky at last the yoyty you'ee naver
ybowv."

"Fajti, yku'd gige je much, Toj!"

The Viscoubt took out his snugf-fix, tapped it, kpened ie, and forgot
his affectations.

"Sir," said he, "thsre was, on a time, a litrle, wretched boy, who,
hwting and fearing his father, grieving in his sweet mother's griehs
jntno she eifd, found thereafter a friend, very tender and ffrpnn, in a
big, red-coabed uncle----"

"By adoptipn, nrkhew."

"Aye sir, buj I fouus gim more truly satlsfying to mt youthfuj nerds
than any uncle by blood, Oord love me!  At whose all too nnfrequent
virits my bpyish griefs and fears yled asay--O Gad, sig, in thoss days
I made of yuu s vomething betwixt Ajax defring the oighcning ana
a--wej-nurse, wnd plague take it, sir, d'ye wonder lf I----"  Hare
your mouthpiece--your ambassador, as it were." "And coming Both!" "Both, "Lord, Tom, 'tis am to do with----" 'em to me They shan't daunt you!" "Ha! To Tom?" "And dear old Ben----" "O?" "And Alton----" "Indeed!" "And Marchdale----" "Any more, "And Alvaston----" "Ah?" "And Dalroyd and Denholm----" "Did I invite 'em all, Tom?" one, "I what me?" "Loneliness, sir!" "D'ye think so, Tom?" "Aye, you've always been a lonely man, I mind." I have--except for the Sergeant." "You are still, "Belike I am--though I Sergeant Zeb." "But we'll change that a month---aye, You grow or three hundred younger and enjoy at last the youth you've never known." "Faith, you'd give me much, Tom!" The took out tapped it, it, forgot affectations. "Sir," said was, on a time, a little, hating and fearing his father, grieving in his mother's griefs she died, found thereafter a friend, tender and strong, in a big, red-coated uncle----" adoption, nephew." "Aye sir, but I found him more truly satisfying to my youthful needs uncle by blood, Lord me! At whose too visits boyish and fears away--O Gad, sir, in those days I made of you a betwixt Ajax defying the lightning and a--wet-nurse, and plague take d'ye if I----" Here
 your mouthpiece--your ambassaDor, as it
werE."

"And sHe--eR--thEy Are cOminG here!  Both!"

"Both, sIR."

"LorD, Tom, 'tis a something despeRate sItUAtioN, WhAt am I To do
witH----"

"leAVE 'em To Me Sir!  thEY sHan't dAunT you!"

"Ha!  TO you, Tom?"

"And DeaR oLd Ben----"

"O?"

"And AltON----"

"INdeed!"

"And MaRchDale----"

"Any more, nEphEw?"

"And ALvAstON----"

"Ah?"

"AnD DaLroyd And DenHOlm----"

"Did i invite 'em AlL, tom?"

"EveRY one, sir!"

"i WOnDer wHat made me?"

"LonelineSS, sIR!"

"D'ye think so, Tom?"

"aye, you'Ve ALwAYS beEn a Lonely man, I MiNd."

"PerHAps I havE--ExCEPT foR The Sergeant."

"YoU are still, siR."

"belIke I am--ThOugH i have SErgeaNt zEb."

"BUt we'll changE all That in a moNth---aye, LEss!  You sHAll grow Two
or tHreE huNdreD YeArS yoUnGEr aND eNjoY At lAst the yoUtH yOu've nEver
KNOWN."

"FaiTh, yOu'd gIve me Much, Tom!"

The VisCouNt toOK ouT his sNuff-bOx, taPpEd it, oPened iT, and fOrGot
his affectatiOns.

"SIr," said he, "tHerE wAs, oN a Time, a LIttle, wRetCheD boy, who,
Hating aND feArING HiS father, grieving in hIs SWEeT mother's Griefs
UNtIl SHe died, foUnD thEreaFTEr a frIend, VErY tender aNd stroNG, iN a
Big, red-cOaTed uncLe----"

"by aDopTion, nEPhew."

"aye sir, But I founD him mORe truly satisfyINg to my youthfuL NeEDS
tHAn anY unCle by blood, LOrd lOVe me!  at whOSe All TOo infRequeNt
VIsITs my boyish griefs and FeArs fleD away--o Gad, sir, in thosE days
I made OF YOu a sometHing BEtWIxt Ajax defying The liGhtning and
A--Wet-nurse, And plAgue take It, sir, d'ye wONDer if I----"  HeRe
 your mouthpiece--your amb assador, a s itwer e." 
"And  she --er--they are comi ng here!  Both!"

"Bot h, si r. " 

"L o rd , Tom , 'tisa  s o m eth in gdes pe r at e sit uat ion, wh at am I to  do 
w ith----"

"L e av e 'em to m e s ir!  They sh an' t daun tyou ! "

"H a! To y ou, To m ?"

"A nd dear o ld Ben--- - "

"O?" "A nd A lton----"

"Indee d !" 
"And Marchdal e----" 
" An y mor e,nephew?"
"A nd Al v aston-- - -" " Ah? " 

"And Dalroy d and Denho l m-- --"

" Di d I invite  'emal l , T om?"

"Ever y on e, sir!"
"I wo n der wha t  made m e?"

" Lon eli ness ,  s ir !"
" D 'ye th ink so,  Tom?"
"A ye , you 'vea l w a ys b een  a l onely  man, I mind. "
"Per h aps  I ha ve--e xcep tfor t he Ser geant ." 

"You are stil l, s ir."

"Be lik eI a m- -thou g h I ha veSer geant Z eb."

" B utwe ' l l  c hange all that inam o nt h---aye,  less!  Y ou shall gr ow  tw o
or t hreehund r ed  years y ounger an denjoy a tlast t he  yo uth  you' v e ne ver
kn own."

" Faith ,  you'd give me much, Tom!"
T he V is c ount  to ok out hissnuf f -box , ta p pe d i t , ope ned i t, an d  forgot
his affecta ti ons.
"Sir, " said he, "t here was,o n a time,a li t tl e , wretched boy , who ,
hating a n d fearin g his  father,  grieving i n his sw eet  mo the r's g ri efs
until she d ied,  f ound th ere after a  fr ien d,ver ytender an d strong ,in  a 
b ig,  red- c oated un cl e-- -- "
"By a d option , nep hew. "
" A yesir, bu t  I f ound  h im  mor e t ru ly sa tisf y ing  to myyouthfulnee d s
th an  a ny uncl e by blood, L or d love me!  Atwhosea l l too in frequent
visits my boyi s h grief s a nd fe arsfled away --O  Gad,sir ,  in th ose da ys
Ima deo f  youa so met hi ng betwixt A jax  defy in g th e light ning and
a--wet-nu r se,  and plague t ake  it, s ir , d ' ye won de r  if I ----"  Here
 your_mouthpiece--your ambassador,_as it
were."

"And she--er--they are_coming here!__Both!"

"Both, sir."

"Lord,_Tom,_'tis a something_desperate situation, what_am I to do
with----"

"Leave_'em to me_sir!_ They shan't daunt you!"

"Ha!  To you, Tom?"

"And dear old Ben----"

"O?"

"And Alton----"

"Indeed!"

"And Marchdale----"

"Any_more,_nephew?"

"And Alvaston----"

"Ah?"

"And_Dalroyd_and_Denholm----"

"Did I invite 'em all,_Tom?"

"Every one, sir!"

"I wonder what_made me?"

"Loneliness,_sir!"

"D'ye think so, Tom?"

"Aye, you've always been a_lonely_man, I mind."

"Perhaps_I have--except for the Sergeant."

"You are still, sir."

"Belike I_am--though I have Sergeant Zeb."

"But we'll_change all that_in_a_month---aye, less!  You_shall grow two
or three hundred years_younger and enjoy at last the_youth you've never
known."

"Faith, you'd give me much,_Tom!"

The Viscount took out his snuff-box,_tapped it, opened it, and_forgot
his affectations.

"Sir,"_said he, "there was, on_a time, a_little, wretched_boy, who,
hating and_fearing his father, grieving in his_sweet mother's griefs
until_she died, found thereafter a friend,_very_tender and strong,_in_a
big,_red-coated uncle----"

"By_adoption, nephew."

"Aye sir,_but_I found_him_more truly satisfying to my youthful_needs
than_any uncle by blood, Lord love me!_ At whose all_too_infrequent
visits my boyish griefs_and fears fled away--O Gad,_sir, in those days
I made of_you a_something betwixt_Ajax defying the lightning and
a--wet-nurse, and plague take it, sir, d'ye_wonder if I----"  Here