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252 dismal business of getting a gown that unpleasantly pervades my mind; "you remember Snooks, the draper?"

"Rather."

"You know the consternation his modest handwriting ever caused in our domestic circle? Well, at midsummer he sent in his account, and of course papa, instead of paying it, danced upon it as usual. I fancy he has a notion that after dancing a pas seul over bills they are, in fact, discharged, don't you? Well, times being bad with Snooks, he plucked up a spirit, and wrote a gentle request for his dues, but when it arrived no one could be found brave enough to present it to the governor; for two days it was handed round the house, everybody, servants and all, repudiating it, and then with one consent it was decided that something must be done. The Bull of Basan proposed that we should lay it on the Prayer-book, and receive in a body his overflowing wrath, but, after some consideration, that plan was rejected. Finally it was decided that we should place it in that little study at the top of the stairs, by his bedroom, where he often sits, and the time for putting it there was fixed at immediately after dinner, when he is always sitting in the library over his wine. Dinner over, Basan fetched the fatal epistle, and we set off, full speed, for the study, clattering up the stairs like mad, he first, I following. You know how narrow the staircase is, and that the door opens abruptly to the left, so that until you are right on to the threshold you cannot see in at all; well, Basan flung the door open, and—stopped short. Alice! Milly! over his face came the most awful, indescribable, wonderful change; he looked as if he was turned to stone. Nothing short of the governor could produce that look on any of our faces, and he was down in the library.

What on earth is the matter?' I said, poking my grinning countenance round the corner; 'you look as if you had seen the dev—' There, within half a yard of my nose, stood the governor!