Mr. Fogo's face fell.

"Stop a bit," said Caleb more brightly. "About livin' inside o' the
town, now--es that a shiny cannon?"

"A what?"

"A shiny cannon--which es the same as to say, won't et do elst?"

"Oh, a _sine-qua-non_," said Mr. Fogo; "no, I am not particularly
anxious to live in the town itself."

"Wud the matter of a mile up the river be out o' the way?"

"Not at all."

"An' about rent?"

"Within reasonable limits, that would not matter."

"Then my advice to you, sir, es to see the Twins about et."

Mr. Fogo's mild face looked more puzzled than ever. He removed his
spectacles, wiped and resumed them.

"For any reasonable object," he said, "I am ready to see any number
of twins--much as I dislike babies--"

But here Caleb interrupted him by bursting into a roar of laughter