"Well," she said to my mother, descending the last three steps of the
staircase and holding out her hand! "you're welcome. Though it's a
surprise.... I can't ask you to HAVE anything, I'm afraid, for there
isn't anything in the house." She smiled, and looked at her husband
banteringly. "Unless he makes up something with his old chemicals, which
he's quite equal to doing."

My mother shook hands stiffly, and told me to kiss my aunt....

"Well, let's all sit down," said my uncle, suddenly whistling through
his clenched teeth, and briskly rubbing his hands together. He put up a
chair for my mother, raised the blind of the little window, lowered it
again, and returned to his hearthrug. "I'm sure," he said, as one who
decides, "I'm very glad to see you."

V

As they talked I gave my attention pretty exclusively to my uncle.

I noted him in great detail. I remember now his partially unbuttoned
waistcoat, as though something had occurred to distract him as he did
it up, and a little cut upon his chin. I liked a certain humour in
his eyes. I watched, too, with the fascination that things have for an
observant boy, the play of his lips--they were a little oblique, and
there was something "slipshod," if one may strain a word so far, about
his mouth, so that he lisped and sibilated ever and again and the coming
and going of a curious expression, triumphant in quality it was, upon
his face as he talked. He fingered his glasses, which did not seem to
fit his nose, fretted with things in his waistcoat pockets or put his