184 THE BOARDING-HOUSK. 



" I thought so," growled the radical ; " you never hear of these 

 fellows being presented on their going away again. They know 

 better than that." 



" Unless somebody pervades them with an apintment," said Mrs. 

 Bloss, joining in the conversation in a faint voice. 



" Well/' said Wisbottle, evading the point, " it's a splendid 

 eight." 



" And did it never occur to you/' inquired the radical, who never 

 would be quiet, " did it never occur to you, that you pay for these 

 precious ornaments of society." 



" It certainly has occurred to me," said Wisbottle, who thought 

 this answer was a poser ; " it has occurred to me, and I am willing 

 to pay for them." 



" Well, and it has occurred to me too," replied John Evenson, 

 " and I an't willing to pay for 'em. Then why should I ? I say, 

 why should I ?" continued the politician, laying down the paper, and 

 knocking his knuckles on the table. " There are two great princi- 

 ples demand " 



" A cup of tea if you please, dear/' interrupted Tibbs. 



And supply" 



" May I trouble you to hand this tea to Mr. Tibbs ?" said Mrs. 

 Tibbs, interrupting the argument, and unconsciously illustrating it. 



The thread of the orator's discourse was broken. He drank his 

 tea and resumed the paper. 



" If it's very fine," said Mr. Alfred Tomkins, addressing the com- 

 pany in general, " I shall ride down to Richmond to-day, and come, 

 back by the steamer. There are some splendid effects of light and 

 shade on the Thames ; the contrast between the blueness of the sky 

 and the yellow water is frequently exceedingly beautiful." Mr. 

 Wisbottle hummed, " Flow on, thy shining river/' 



" We have some splendid steam-vessels in Ireland," said O'Bleary. 



<e Certainly," said Mrs. Bloss, delighted to find a subject broached 

 in which she could take part. 



" The accommodations are extraordinary," said O'Bleary. 



" Extraordinary indeed," returned Mrs. Bloss. " When Mr. 

 Bloss was alive he was promiscuously obligated to go to Ireland on 

 business. I went with him, and raly the manner in which the ladies 

 and gentlemen were accommodated with births, is not creditable." 



Tibbs, who had been listening to the dialogue, looked very aghast, 

 and evinced a strong inclination to ask a question, but was checked 

 by a look from his wife. Mr. Wisbottle laughed, and said Tomkins 

 had made a pun ; and Tomkins laughed too, and said he hadn't." 



The remainder of the meal passed off as beakfasts usually do. 

 Conversation flagged, and people played with their tea-spoons. The 

 gentlemen looked out at the window ; walked about the room, and 

 when they got near the door, dropped off one by one. Tibbs retired 

 to the back parlour by his wife's orders, to check the green-grocer's 

 weekly account ; and ultimately Mrs. Tibbs and Mrs. Bloss were 

 left alone together. 



"Oh dear/' said the latter, " I feel alarmingly faint; it's very 



