CHAP. xxii. INTERVIEW WITH DICK. 379 



Dick, hearing the sound of footsteps, rose up with 

 the candle, and taking it with him entered the shop by 

 the back way. The visitor, scarcely knowing what to 

 say, asked for some of his biscuits. He said that, being 

 a stranger, he had heard that Mr. Dick's biscuits were 

 the best in town. The biscuits were given, and still the 

 stranger hung about. He entered into conversation 

 with Dick, and he asked whether he could not see some 

 of his specimens. Dick said that he had at that time 

 little that was worth seeing in fact, he had already 

 sold his fossils to Mr. Miller but, if he would call 

 again, he would with pleasure show him all that he had. 

 Dick fixed the hour, stating that his visitor must be 

 punctual to the minute. He explained that he had to 

 stick to rigorous rules in that way, as he had to support 

 himself by his business, and also because he was at 

 times interrupted by persons calling for their own plea- 

 sure while he was engaged at his work. 



The introduction being thus successfully accom- 

 plished, the visitor again called on Eobert Dick to 

 inspect his treasures. He was taken upstairs to the 

 museum a little bedroom or parlour of which Dick 

 carefully kept the key. Its appearance indicated that 

 no duster or broom was plied there without his special 

 permission. The chairs were laden with books, or 

 specimens of plants or fossils. In a corner was laid 

 his herbarium consisting of numerous books in which 

 his dried plants had been preserved. One part of the 

 room might be likened to a quarry bed, because of the 

 specimens of rocks lying there. 



