"Yes, William," said Mr. Homer, turning his mild eyes on his assistant.
"Have I—have I given satisfaction, sir?"
"Eminent satisfaction!" said Mr. Homer, cordially. "William, I have had no fault to find; none. Your punctuality, your exactness, your assiduity, leave nothing to be desired. This has been a great gratification to me—on many accounts."
"Then, you—you think I have the right to call myself a man once more; that I have the right to take up a man's life, its joys, as well as its labors?"
"I think so, most emphatically," cried the little gentleman, nodding his head. "I think you deserve the best that life has to give."
"Then—then, Mr. Homer, may I have a day off to-morrow, please? I want"—he broke into a tremulous laugh, and laid his hand on the elder man's shoulder,—"I want to climb the Peak, Mr. Homer!"
So it came to pass one day, soon after this, that as Mrs. Tree was sitting by her fire, with the parrot dozing on his perch beside her, there came to the house two young people, who entered without knock or ring, and coming hand in hand to her side, bent down, not saying a word, and kissed her.
"Highty tighty!" cried Mrs. Tree, her eyes twinkling very brightly under a tremendous frown.
"What is the meaning of all this, I should like to know? How dare you kiss me, Willy Jaquith?"