before he departed to his office in the West End. Mrs. Poole entered, leading an infant who had not yet learned to walk alone, and denoting, by an interesting enlargement of shape, a kindly design to bless that infant, at no distant period, with a brother or sister, as the case might be.
"Come and kiss Pa, Johnny," said she to the infant.
"Mrs. Poole, I am busy," growled Pa.
"Pa's busy—working hard for little Johnny. Johnny will be the better for it some day," said Mrs. Poole, tossing the infant half up to the ceiling, in compensation for the loss of the paternal kiss.
"Mrs. Poole, what do you want?"
"May I hire Jones's brougham for two hours to-day to pay visits? There are a great many cards we ought to leave; is there any place where I should leave a card for you, lovey—any per- son of consequence you were introduced to at Mrs. Haughton's last night? That great man they were all talking about, to whom you seemed to take such a fancy, Samuel, duck—"
"Do get out! that man insulted me, I tell you."
"Insulted you! No; you never told me."
"I did tell you last night coming home."
"Dear me, I thought you meant that Mr. Hartopp."
"Well, he almost insulted me, too. Mrs. Poole, you are stupid and disagreeable. Is that all you have to say?"
"Pa's cross, Johnny dear! poor Pa!—people have vexed Pa, Johnny—naughty people. We must go, or we shall vex him too."
Such heavenly sweetness on the part of a forbearing wife would have softened Tamburlane. Poole's sullen brow relaxed. If women knew how to treat men, not a husband, unhenpecked, would be found from Indus to the Pole! And Poole, for all his surly demeanor, was as completely governed by that angel as a bear by his keeper.
"Well, Mrs. Poole, excuse me. I own I am out of sorts to- day—give me little Johnny—there (kissing the infant, who in return makes a dig at Pa's left eye, and begins to cry on finding that he has not succeeded in digging it out)—take the brougham. Hush, Johnny—hush—and you may leave a card for me at Mr. Peckham's, Harley Street. My eye smarts horribly; that baby will gouge me one of these days."
Mrs. Poole has succeeded in stilling the infant, and confess- ing that Johnny's fingers are extremely strong for his age—but, adding, that babies will catch at whatever is very bright and beautiful, such as gold and jewels, and Mr. Poole's eyes, admin-
