staring hard at the battered hat; yet it is not to be supposed that the
sight of this could possibly have brought the smile to his lips, and
into his eyes a look that surely none had ever seen there before--such
a preposterously shabby, disreputable old hat! Of course not!




CHAPTER VIII

OF CANDIES AND CONFIDENCES


"Oh!" said Mrs. Trapes, "so you've come? Good land, Mr. Geoffrey,
there's parcels an' packages been a-coming for you constant ever since
you went out! Whatever have you been a-buying of?" And opening the door
of his small bedroom, she indicated divers packages with a saucepan lid
she happened to be holding.

"Well," said her lodger, seating himself upon the bed, "if I remember
rightly, there are shirts, and socks, and pajamas, and a few other
oddments of the sort. And here, when I can get it out of my pocket, is a
box of candies. I don't know if you are fond of such things, but most of
the sex feminine are, I believe. Pray take them as a mark of
my--er--humble respect!"

"Candy!" exclaimed Mrs. Trapes, turning the gaily bedecked box over and
over, and glaring at it fierce-eyed. "Fer me?"

"If you will deign acceptance."