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THE DIARY OF A NOBODY. side-bell. Cummings squeezed my hand, and said: "I've just seen Gowing. All right. Say no more about it." There is no doubt they are both under the impression I have apologised.

While playing dominoes with Cummings in the parlour, he said: "By-the-by, do you want any wine or spirits? My cousin Merton has just set up in the trade, and has a splendid whisky, four years in bottle, at thirty-eight shillings. It is worth your while laying down a few dozen of it." I told him my cellars, which were very small, were full up. To my horror, at that very moment, Sarah entered the room, and putting a bottle of whisky, wrapped in a dirty piece of newspaper, on the table in front of us, said: "Please, sir, the grocer says he ain't got no more Kinahan, but you'll find this very good at two-and-six, with twopence returned on the bottle; and, please, did you want any more sherry? as he has some at one-and-three, as dry as a nut!" 36