“Not a word now, till you’ve had some breakfast,” interrupted the wary Jim. “My poor dear aunt must be simply fagged to death. Do take your bonnet off, and come and sit here in the easy-chair. Let me make you some cocoa; I know the way you take it, exactly. Try those chops in front of you, sir, they are prime, as Charlie will tell you. Reader, old man, draw in and keep us company. Well, I declare, this is a jolly family party! And what’s the news down in your part of the world? Have you had a good harvest? My uncle comes from Cornwall, Charlie.”
And he gave his friend a lugubrious wink, as much as to say, “Keep it up.”
“Do you live near the sea?” thereupon began Charlie.
“Pretty near, that is, about twenty miles off,” said the uncle, looking at Charlie under his spectacles.
“My love, the gentleman will laugh at you,” said his good lady. “I call twenty miles a long way.”
“I perfectly agree with you, ma’am,” said Charlie, “Twenty miles is a good distance in this little island of ours. But it’s curious how little they make of such a distance in a big country like India, for instance, where I am going. There, I am told, it is quite a common thing for a man to be twenty miles from his next-door neighbour, and yet be on constant visiting terms.”
“Dear me!” said the uncle.
“You don’t know India, I suppose, sir?” inquired Charlie.
“No; that is—”
“He’s only read about it in books,” again put in the aunt; “and so, my love, you’d better say at once you don’t know anything about it.”