“This is my little elephant, sir,” said Mr. Omer, fondling the child. “Siamese breed, sir. Now, little elephant!”

The little elephant set the door of the parlour open, enabling me to see that, in these latter days, it was converted into a bedroom for Mr. Omer who could not be easily conveyed upstairs; and then hid her pretty forehead, and tumbled her long hair, against the back of Mr. Omer’s chair.

“The elephant butts, you know, sir,” said Mr. Omer, winking, “when he goes at a object. Once, elephant. Twice. Three times!”