My son, Mr Jeffreys." Jonah made a face at his mother, as much as to say, "I don't admire your choice," and then, with a half-nod at Jeffreys, said,-- "Ah, how are you ?" "Jonah and I always dine at twelve, Mr Jeffreys," said Mrs Trimble, over whom the prospect of the afternoon's nap was beginning to cast a balmy sense of ease.

"You two young men will be good friends, I hope, and look well after the boys." "More than you do," said the undutiful Jonah; "they've been doing just as they please the last month." "It's a pity, Jonah, you never found fault with that before." "What's the use of finding fault?
No end to it when you once begin." "Well," observed the easy-going matron, "you two will have to see I don't have occasion to find fault with you." Jonah laughed, and asked Jeffreys to cut him a slice of bread.
Presently Mrs Trimble quitted the festive board, and the two ushers were left together.
"Lucky for you," said young Trimble, "you got hold of ma and pinned her down to taking you on on the spot.

What's she going to pay you ?" The question did not altogether please the new assistant, but he was anxious not to come across his colleague too early in their acquaintanceship.
"She pays me nothing the first month.

After that, if I suit, I'm to have a pound a month." "If you suit?
I suppose you know that depends on whether I like you or not ?" "I hope not," blurted out Jeffreys--"that is," added he, seeing his mistake, "I hope we shall _get_ on well together." "Depends," said Trimble.

"I may as well tell you at once I hate stuck- uppedness (this was a compound word worthy of a young schoolmaster).