me, and I am very well off indeed."

"You have a happy disposition," said Barbox Brothers: perhaps with a
slight excusatory touch for his own disposition.

"Ah! But you should know my father," she replied. "His is the happy
disposition!--Don't mind, sir!" For his reserve took the alarm at a step
upon the stairs, and he distrusted that he would be set down for a
troublesome intruder. "This is my father coming."

The door opened, and the father paused there.

"Why, Lamps!" exclaimed Barbox Brothers, starting from his chair. "How
do you do, Lamps?"

To which Lamps responded: "The gentleman for Nowhere! How do you DO,
sir?"

And they shook hands, to the greatest admiration and surprise of Lamp's
daughter.

"I have looked you up half-a-dozen times since that night," said Barbox
Brothers, "but have never found you."

"So I've heerd on, sir, so I've heerd on," returned Lamps. "It's your
being noticed so often down at the Junction, without taking any train,
that has begun to get you the name among us of the gentleman for Nowhere.
No offence in my having called you by it when took by surprise, I hope,
sir?"