the blowpipe and the nice little hammer? But, hillo! here comes
another questioner for you, my poor guest. I say, Bob, you must help
me to defend him now."

"Here, Boffin," he cried out, after a pause; "here we are, if you
must have it!"

I looked over my shoulder, and saw something flash and gleam in the
sunlight that lay across the hall; so I turned round, and at my ease
saw a splendid figure slowly sauntering over the pavement; a man
whose surcoat was embroidered most copiously as well as elegantly, so
that the sun flashed back from him as if he had been clad in golden
armour. The man himself was tall, dark-haired, and exceedingly
handsome, and though his face was no less kindly in expression than
that of the others, he moved with that somewhat haughty mien which
great beauty is apt to give to both men and women. He came and sat
down at our table with a smiling face, stretching out his long legs
and hanging his arm over the chair in the slowly graceful way which
tall and well-built people may use without affectation. He was a man
in the prime of life, but looked as happy as a child who has just got
a new toy. He bowed gracefully to me and said -

"I see clearly that you are the guest, of whom Annie has just told
me, who have come from some distant country that does not know of us,
or our ways of life. So I daresay you would not mind answering me a
few questions; for you see--"

Here Dick broke in: "No, please, Boffin! let it alone for the
present. Of course you want the guest to be happy and comfortable;
and how can that be if he has to trouble himself with answering all