" Yes, sir," continued Mrs. Docker, " and that's the only
bad thing about Mr. Terkin. If he had a hundred bla(^
slaves, and all in this house, they wouldn't have a moment's
peace amongst them. For he either wants two letters posted,
or a bottle of soda water, or his things home on Wednesday,
or to know what the man's crying at the top of the street, or
the time-bill of the Birmingen railway, or yesterday's news-
paper — there, that's him again, sir. Now, I'd bet any
money he's come in and can't find his shiny boots."

It is probable that Mrs. Docker was right; for Mr. Terkin,
being convivial, would at times, upon taking them off at
night, fling his dress boots recklessly about — on to shelves,
and behind drawers, and under tables. As the servants had
orders never to touch them, since a few ignorant hand-
maidens had, in his time, tried to black them in the ordinary
fashion, and so ruined them altogether, Mr. Terkin now
and then found their recovery a matter of time and research;
and when, as on the present occasion, he had thrown them
out of window after the cats, and ihey had, missing their
aim, gone into the water-butt, their repossession became ad-
ditionally uncertain.
So Mrs. Docker hurried down to the rescue; and Mr,
Flitter, finishing his toilet, despatched an invitation to the
particular friends whom be intended should make up his
linner-party.
THE FOTTLETON LEOAOY. 49

CHAPTER VU,

THE MISS TWINCIl's COME OUT IN A GRATIFVTNG MANNER.
A FEW days passed — sad and heavy ones for Annie Maitland,
who never once left the gaunt old Grange — and then her
aunt was buried.
