“Bless us! What?” exclaimed the old lady, alarmed at the solemn manner of the corpulent youth.

“The strange gentleman⁠—him as had his arm hurt⁠—a-kissin’ and huggin’⁠—”

“Who, Joe? None of the servants, I hope.”

“Worser than that,” roared the fat boy, in the old lady’s ear.

“Not one of my grandda’aters?”

“Worser than that.”

“Worse than that , Joe!” said the old lady, who had thought this the extreme limit of human atrocity. “Who was it, Joe? I insist upon knowing.”

The fat boy looked cautiously round, and having concluded his survey, shouted in the old lady’s ear⁠—