the pictures there were clocks and candlesticks and vases, and gilt looking-glasses, and boxes of cigars and scent and things littered all over the chairs and tables. It was a wonderful place, and in the middle of all the splendour was a little old gentleman with a very long black coat and a very long white beard and a hooky nose—like a falcon. And he put on a pair of gold spectacles and looked at us as if he knew exactly how much our clothes were worth. And then, while we elder ones were thinking how to begin, for we had all said "Good morning" as we came in, of course, H. O. began before we could stop him. He said:—
"'Are you the G. B.?"
"The what?" said the little old gentleman.
"The G. B.," said H. O., and I winked at him to shut up, but he didn't see me, and the G. B. did. He waved his hand at me to shut up, so I had to, and H. O. went on—
"It stands for Generous Benefactor."
The old gentleman frowned. Then he said, "Your Father sent you here, I suppose?"
"No he didn't," said Dicky. "Why did you think so?"
The old gentleman held out the card, and I explained that we took that because Father's name happens to be the same as Dicky's.
