DIALSTONE LANE

By W. W. Jacobs

PART III.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations

"Mr. Vickers Had Been for a Stroll With Mr. William Russell."

'Why, You Must Have Been Stinting Me for Years,' Continued Mr. Vickers."

"They Were Anxious for Particulars."

"Mr. Vickers Rose and Stood Regarding the Ignoble Creature With Profound Contempt."

"He Became Intent on a Derelict Punt."

"Aided by Mr. Tredgold and a Peal of Thunder, She Managed To Clamber Over."

"She Threw Herself Thoughtlessly Into That Famous Old Chippendale Chair."

"Instructed Their Retainers to Make Untruthful Statements As to Their Whereabouts."

"You Said to My Husband:'the Fair Emily is Yours.'"

"The Captain Walked Home Deep in Thought."

"Mrs. Stobell."

"'It Wouldn't Be Nice to Be Buried at Sea,' Remarked Mr. Chalk."

"He Pointed to a Thin, Dismal-looking Man."

"There's More in This Than Meets the Eye."

"Purchasing Firearms, With Which he Practised in The Garden."

"Mrs. Chalk Stood by a Pile of Luggage, Discoursing to An Admiring Circle of Friends."

"A Slight Nautical Roll."

"'Is It Mutiny?' he Faltered."

"She Enacted, to the Great Admiration of a Small Crowd, The Part of a Human Semaphore."

CHAPTER IX

The church bells were ringing for morning service as Mr. Vickers, who had been for a stroll with Mr. William Russell and a couple of ferrets, returned home to breakfast. Contrary to custom, the small front room and the kitchen were both empty, and breakfast, with the exception of a cold herring and the bitter remains of a pot of tea, had been cleared away.

"I've known men afore now," murmured Mr. Vickers, eyeing the herring disdainfully, "as would take it by the tail and smack'em acrost the face with it."

He cut himself a slice of bread, and, pouring out a cup of cold tea, began his meal, ever and anon stopping to listen, with a puzzled face, to a continuous squeaking overhead. It sounded like several pairs of new boots all squeaking at once, but Mr. Vickers, who was a reasonable man and past the age of self-deception, sought for a more probable cause.

A particularly aggressive squeak detached itself from the others and sounded on the stairs. The resemblance to the noise made by new boots was stronger than ever. It was new boots. The door opened, and Mr. Vickers, with a slice of bread arrested half-way to his mouth, sat gazing in astonishment at Charles Vickers, clad for the first time in his life in new raiment from top to toe. Ere he could voice inquiries, an avalanche of squeaks descended the stairs, and the rest of the children, all smartly clad, with Selina bringing up the rear, burst into the room.

"What is it?" demanded Mr. Vickers, in a voice husky with astonishment; "a bean-feast?"

Miss Vickers, who was doing up a glove which possessed more buttons than his own waistcoat, looked up and eyed him calmly. "New clothes—and not before they wanted'em," she replied, tartly.

"New clothes?" repeated her father, in a scandalized voice. "Where'd they get'em?"

"Shop," said his daughter, briefly.

Mr. Vickers rose and, approaching his offspring, inspected them with the same