"You zee," said he, "it iz te bess vor zit still; and now you
shall know who I pe. Look at me! zee! I am te _Angel ov te
Odd_."

"And odd enough, too," I ventured to reply; "but I was always
under the impression that an angel had wings."

"Te wing!" he cried, highly incensed, "vat I pe do mit te wing?
Mein Gott! do you take me vor a shicken?"

"No - oh no!" I replied, much alarmed, "you are no chicken -
certainly not."

"Well, den, zit still and pehabe yourself, or I'll rap you again
mid me vist. It iz te shicken ab te wing, und te owl ab te wing, und
te imp ab te wing, und te head-teuffel ab te wing. Te angel ab _not_
te wing, and I am te _Angel ov te Odd_."

"And your business with me at present is - is" -

"My pizzness!" ejaculated the thing, "vy vat a low bred buppy
you mos pe vor to ask a gentleman und an angel apout his pizziness!"

This language was rather more than I could bear, even from an
angel; so, plucking up courage, I seized a salt-cellar which lay
within reach, and hurled it at the head of the intruder. Either he
dodged, however, or my aim was inaccurate; for all I accomplished was
the demolition of the crystal which protected the dial of the clock
upon the mantel-piece. As for the Angel, he evinced his sense of my
assault by giving me two or three hard consecutive raps upon the