“My dear Steerforth,” cried I, “I began to think I should never see you again!”

“I was carried off, by force of arms,” said Steerforth, “the very next morning after I got home. Why, Daisy, what a rare old bachelor you are here!”

I showed him over the establishment, not omitting the pantry, with no little pride, and he commended it highly. “I tell you what, old boy,” he added, “I shall make quite a townhouse of this place, unless you give me notice to quit.”

This was a delightful hearing. I told him if he waited for that, he would have to wait till doomsday.

“But you shall have some breakfast!” said I, with my hand on the bell-rope, “and Mrs. Crupp shall make you some fresh coffee, and I’ll toast you some bacon in a bachelor’s Dutch-oven, that I have got here.”