At last I felt equal to the ordeal of meeting the Dunkelbergs.

My uncle must have shared my feeling for, to my delight, he went straight to the basement store above which was the modest sign: "H.
Dunkelberg, Produce." I trembled as we walked down the steps and opened the door.

I saw the big gold watch chain, the handsome clothes, the mustache and side whiskers and the large silver ring approaching us, but I was not as scared as I expected to be.

My eyes were more accustomed to splendor.
"Well I swan!" said the merchant in the treble voice which I remembered so well.

"This is Bart and Peabody! How are you ?" "Pretty well," I answered, my uncle being too slow of speech to suit my sense of propriety.