and Mrs. Smith,
to have a son so celebrated,' said the bank-manager advancing.
'Ah, 'tis Stephen--I knew it!' said Mrs. Smith triumphantly to
herself.
'We don't know particulars,' said John.
'Not know!'
'No.'
'Why, 'tis all over town. Our worthy Mayor alluded to it in a
speech at the dinner last night of the Every-Man-his-own-Maker
Club.'
'And what about Stephen?' urged Mrs. Smith.
'Why, your son has been feted by deputy-governors and Parsee
princes and nobody-knows-who in India; is hand in glove with
nabobs, and is to design a large palace, and cathedral, and
hospitals, colleges, halls, and fortifications, by the general
consent of the ruling powers, Christian and Pagan alike.'
''Twas sure to come to the boy,' said Mr. Smith unassumingly.
''Tis in yesterday's St. Launce's Chronicle; and our worthy Mayor
in the chair introduced the subject into his speech last night in
a masterly manner.'
''Twas very good of the worthy Mayor in the chair I'm sure,' said
Stephen's mother. 'I hope the boy will have the sense to keep
what he's got; but as for men, they are a simple sex. Some woman
will hook him.'
'Well, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the evening closes in, and we must be
going; and remember this, that every Saturday when you come in to
market, you are to make our house as your own. There will be
always a tea-cup and saucer for you, as you know there has been
for months, though you may have forgotten it.
Pages:
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473