was something in his favour. One peculiarity she did not fail to notice.
They were both dressed in every respect alike. In fact, Mr. Solomon
Smith seemed to be Mr. Jeremiah Jackson's double. He talked in the same
style, and pretty nearly in the same language; laughed in the same
manner, and coughed, or sneezed at the same time. If Mr. Jackson took an
accurate survey of the room with his one eye, Mr. Smith's solitary orb
followed in the same direction. When Jeremiah admired the Compasses in
the arms of the Carpenter's Company over the chimney-piece, or the
portraits of the two eminent masters of the rule and plane, William
Portington, and John Scott, Esquires, on either side of it, Solomon was
lost in wonder. When Mr. Jackson noticed a fine service of old blue
china in an open japan closet, Mr. Smith had never seen anything like
it. And finally, when Jeremiah, having bestowed upon Mrs. Wood a very
free-and-easy sort of stare, winked at Mr. Kneebone, his impertinence
was copied to the letter by Solomon. All three, then, burst into an
immoderate fit of laughter. Mrs. Wood's astonishment and displeasure
momentarily increased. Such freedoms from such people were not to be
endured. Her patience was waning fast. Still, in spite of her glances
and gestures, Mr. Kneebone made no effort to check the unreasonable
merriment of his companions, but rather seemed to encourage it. So Mrs.
Wood went on fuming, and the trio went on laughing for some minutes,
nobody knew why or wherefore, until the party was increased by Mr. Wood,
in his Sunday habiliments and Sunday buckle. Without stopping to inquire
into the cause of their mirth, or even to ask the names of his guests,
the worthy carpenter shook hands with the one-eyed chapmen, slapped Mr.
Kneebone cordially on the shoulder, and began to laugh as heartily as
any of them.

Mrs. Wood could stand it no longer.