Two new boats had been placed on the river by men who proposed to act as guides to the summer visitors, and these he engaged to aid in the water transportation of the articles that had been provided by "the little woman." After his arrival in Sevenoaks, he was in consultation with her every day; and every day he was more impressed by the method which she had pursued in the work of furnishing his little hotel.
"I knowed you was smarter nor lightnin'," he said to her; "but I didn't know you was smarter nor a man." In his journeys, Jim was necessarily thrown into the company of Mike Conlin, who was officiously desirous to place at his disposal the wisdom which had been acquired by long years of intimate association with the feminine element of domestic life, and the duties and practices of housekeeping.

When the last load of furniture was on its way to Number Nine, and Jim had stopped at Mike's house to refresh his weary team, Mike saw that his last opportunity for giving advice had come, and he determined to avail himself of it.
"Jim," he said, "ye're jist nothing but a babby, an' ye must ax me some quistions.

I'm an owld housekaper, an' I kin tell ye everything, Jim." Jim was tired with his work, and tired of Mike.

The great event of his life stood so closely before him, and he was so much absorbed by it, that Mike's talk had a harsher effect upon his sensibilities than the grating of a saw-mill.
"Ah! Mike! shut up, shut up!" he said.

"Ye mean well, but ye're the ignorantest ramus I ever seen.