There’s sense in the suggestion; not a doubt of it. Ad�le, as you say, must go to school; and you, of course, must march straight to — the devil?”

“I hope not, sir; but I must seek another situation somewhere.”

“In course!” he exclaimed, with a twang of voice and a distortion of features equally fantastic and ludicrous. He looked at me some minutes.

“And old Madam Reed, or the Misses, her daughters, will be solicited by you to seek a place, I suppose?”

“No, sir; I am not on such terms with my relatives as would justify me in asking favours of them — but I shall advertise.”

“You shall walk up the pyramids of Egypt!”