PUTTING TO RIGHTS. 81 



served, again turning to me, "or they'd give 

 you sloe juice and call it port wine. Excuse 

 me for ten minutes, I have a call to make, 

 but shall be back by the time the first 

 course is ready." 



In the meantime, I took possession of the 

 best room, which by the hostess's directions 

 had been put to rights that is, the floor had 

 been fresh sanded, all that could be done at 

 so short a notice, and all it needed ; for half- 

 a-dozen chairs and an old club-footed maho- 

 gany table, a steel fender with an edge sharp 

 enough to sever any limb from the body 

 that might accidentally fall on it, with 

 some very lean fire-irons, that might have 

 been forged by Tubal Cain himself were all 

 the room contained in the shape of furniture. 

 The table was covered with a cloth that 

 matched the floor in colour and evenness of 

 surface. Some black-handled knives and 

 forks were properly disposed at each end, 

 while two blown-glass salt-cellars, with di- 



VOL. in. G 



