"Are you, though? Engineering, eh? Well, I'm sorry for it. No, no: I'm glad of it, my lad. I hope you will get on. But I liked you for a reading-boy. You were the only chap I ever had who could stand by me when I took snuff without sneezing all over the slips, and that's a great thing. Have a pinch?" he said, offering me his box. "No, no: of course not, I forgot. Glad you came to see me, Grace--very glad. Here, Mrs Jennings," he cried, going to the door, and shouting down the stairs; "I've got a young friend here: bring up some sugar-candy and biscuits and cinnamon; anything nice you've got." "I really don't want anything, Mr Jabez," I said. "Oh, yes, you do, boy. Ho, hi! Mrs Jennings, bring up some figs." He toddled back to his chair, but was up again directly, to shout down the staircase: "Bring up some almonds and raisins, and candied peel, Mrs Jennings." "Lor' bless the man, do you want the whole shop?" shouted a sharp voice. "No, I don't," said Mr Jabez grumpily, as he toddled back. "I was an out-and-outer for candied peel when I was a boy," he said, rubbing his hands. "Those dried apples, too, that look as if they had been sat upon by old women, Grace. Ah, I spent a lot of pennies on them when I was a boy." A red-faced woman here made her appearance with a plateful of the sweets that Mr Jabez had named, and she rather scowled at me, and banged the plate down hard enough almost to break it as she whisked out of the room again and slammed the door. "Now, Grace, fall to, as they say in copy about feasts. See that woman?" "Yes, Mr Jabez." "She's a Tartar, she is. I live here because that woman acts as a lighthouse to me." "A lighthouse, sir? Because she has got such a red face?" "Get out! No, you young joker. A warning, a beacon, a bell-buoy, a light-ship, to warn me off the rocks and shoals of matrimony. I should have married, Grace, years ago, if I hadn't seen what a life a woman can lead a man. She has nearly made her husband a lunatic." "Indeed, Mr Jabez?" "Well, say imbecile. Peg away, my boy," he continued, laughing; "these figs are beautiful. Peel's good, too." So it seemed, for Mr Jabez was feasting away with great gusto, and eating two of everything to my one. "Yes, sir, I should have been married and a poor man, instead of comparatively rich--at least, was. Money matters are rather awkward just now." "I'm very sorry to hear it, Mr Jabez," I said. "I'm sorry to feel it," said Mr Jabez, with a fig in one hand and a piece of candied peel in the other. "Come, you don't eat. By Jingo, there's Grimstone," he cried, as a step was heard upon the stairs; and in his excitement and dread of being seen engaged in eating sweets, he stuffed a fig into one breeches-pocket, some peel into the other, and snatched up his snuff-box, while I felt terribly discomposed at the idea of meeting my old tyrant. "Is it Mr Grimstone?" I faltered.