"The Chinese never did go," said Mrs. Oliver suggestively, from the
sofa.

"Oh, that's a trifle; they had a treaty or something, and besides,
there are so many of them, and they have such an object in staying."

"You can't turn people out of the house on a moment's warning."

"Certainly not. Give them twenty-four hours, if necessary. We can
choose among several methods of getting rid of them. I can put up a
placard with

BOARDERS, HO!

printed on it in large letters, and then assemble them in the
banquet-hall and make them a speech."

"You would insult them," objected Mrs. Oliver feebly, "and they are
perfectly innocent."

"Insult them? Oh, mamma, how unworthy of you! I shall speak to them
firmly but very gently. 'Ladies and gentlemen,' I shall begin, 'you
have done your best to make palatable the class of human beings to
which you belong, but you have utterly failed, and you must go! Board,
if you must, ladies and gentlemen, but not here! Sap, if you must, the
foundations of somebody else's private paradise, but not ours. In the
words of the Poe-et, "Take thy beaks from off our door."' Then it will
be over, and they will go out."

"Slink out, I should say," murmured Polly's mother.