But as this daughter at once required a nurse, the alleviation proved to be inconsiderable--as Mr.Runacles would have delighted to point out to his wife, had she remained within earshot.

As it was, he took infinite pains to select a suitable nurse, and forthwith neglected the child entirely--a course of conduct which was not so culpable as might be supposed, since (with the sole exception of Mrs.Runacles) he had never been known to err in choosing a subordinate.

In times of peace he gave himself up to studying the mathematics, in which he was a proficient, and to the designing of such curious toys as sundials, water-clocks, pumps, and the like; which he so multiplied about the premises, out of pure joy in constructing them, that Simeon, his body-servant, had much ado to live among the many contrivances for making his life easier.
Although the two pavilions were exactly similar in shape and colour, their gardens differed in some important respects.
On Captain Runacles' side of the hedge all was order--trim turf and yews accurately clipped, though stunted by the sea winds.
Captain Barker's factotum, Narcissus Swiggs by name, was a slow man with but a single eye.

His orbit in gardening was that of the four seasons, but he had the misfortune to lag behind them by the space of three months; while the two sides of the gravel path, though each would be harmonious in itself, could only be enjoyed by shutting one eye as you advanced from the blue gate to the blue front-door.
The particular pride of Captain Barker's garden, however, was a collection of figure-heads set up like statues at regular intervals around the hedge.

The like of it could be found nowhere.
Here, against a background of green, and hanging forward over a green lawn, were an Indian Chief, a Golden Hind, a Triton, a Centaur, an effigy of King Charles I., another of Britannia, a third of the god Pan, and a fourth of Mr.John Phillipson, sometime alderman and shipowner of Harwich.