Mr. Montague got off his throne kind of sudden.

"Ahem!" says he. "Is there a room here where I may--er--receive Mr.
Brown in a less public manner? It will be rather a--er--surprise for
him, and--"

Well, there was a good deal of sense in that. I know 'twould surprise
ME to have such an image as he was sprung on me without any notice. We
steered him into the gents' parlor, and shut the door. In a minute the
horse and wagon come into the yard. Maudina said she'd had a "heavenly"
drive, and unloaded some poetry concerning the music of billows and pine
trees, and such. She and her father went up to their rooms, and when the
decks was clear Jonadab and me tackled Peter T.

"Peter," says Jonadab, "we've got a surprise for you. One of your
relations has come."

Brown, he did look surprised, but he didn't act as he was any too
joyful.

"Relation of MINE?" says he. "Come off! What's his name?"

We told him Montague, Booth Montague. He laughed.

"Wake up and turn over," he says. "They never had anything like that in
my family. Booth Montague! Sure 'twa'n't Algernon Cough-drops?"

We said no, 'twas Booth Montague, and that he was waiting in the gents'
parlor. So he laughed again, and said somethin' about sending for Laura
Lean Jibbey, and then we started.