"You've grow'd quite a swell, young 'un," he said at last; and then stopped smoking suddenly. "I ain't no right here," he said. "I hope you don't mind the pipe." "I'm going to have a cigar with you presently," I said, laughing, "only we'll have some supper first." "Only fancy," he said; "just a bit of a slip as you was when you made up your mind to cut, and now grow'd up. I should have liked to have seen what come between. You are glad to see me, then?" "Glad? Of course," I cried; and then Mary came bustling in to lay the cloth. "She's altered, too," said the old man, who went on smoking away placidly. "Got crummier; and she don't speak so sharp. Think o' you two living in the same house." "Mary's my landlady," I said. "But this is a surprise." "Ah! Yes," he said; "I've often thought I'd come up and see Jabez, and look you up same time. I had a bit of a job to find you, for Jabez wasn't at home." "Mr Jabez is here," I said. "Yes; they said he'd come to see you, and they wouldn't give me the address at first. I'd lost it, or forgotten it, but here I am." "I'll go up and tell him you are here," I cried; and before my visitor could say a word, I had run upstairs and completely upset all Mr Jabez Rowle's calculations, which might or might not have ended in his gaining the odd trick, and was soon taking him downstairs on the plea or important business. "Anything the matter, Grace?" he said--"anything wrong with Hallett?" "No," I said; "he's in his bedroom. Come in here." If I had expected to startle or surprise Mr Jabez, I should have been disappointed, for, upon entering my room, where his brother was composedly smoking the long clay pipe, with his yellow silk handkerchief spread over his knees, he only said: "Hallo, Peter, you here?" and went and sat down on the other side of the fire. "How do, Jabez?" said my old friend, without taking his pipe out of his mouth; and then there was silence, which I did not care to break, but sat down, too, and looked on. "Come up to-day, Peter?" said Mr Jabez. "Yes." "When are you going back?" "Don't know." "Oh!" Then there was a pause. "Stick to your pipe still," said Mr Jabez, taking a loud pinch of snuff. "Yes; never could manage snuff." "Oh!" Here there was another pause, broken once more by Mr Jabez. "Where are you going to stay?" "Long o' you." "Oh!" A great many puffs of smoke followed here, and several pinches of snuff, as the two old men sat on either side of the fire and stared hard at each other, their likeness being now wonderful, as far as their heads were concerned. "Hard up?" said Mr Jabez at last. "No. Want to borrow a sov?" "No," said Mr Jabez shortly; and there was again a silence. "I'll have a drop of gin and water, Grace," said Mr Jabez, after a very long and awkward pause for me. I mixed it for him with alacrity.