And it must be confessed the excitement was due to very opposite emotions in the breast of the day-boarder. The doctor and his ladies were coming! On the last two occasions they had been unfortunately prevented, which had been a great blow to Brown’s “pa and ma” but a relief to Brown himself. And now the prospect of meeting these awful dignitaries face to face in his own house put him in a small panic. But on the other hand, he knew there would be jellies, and savoury pie, and strawberries, and tipsy-cake, at home that night. He had seen them arrive from the confectioner’s that morning, and, Limpet as he was, Brown smiled inwardly as he meditated thereon. This was a second ground for excitement. And a third, equal to either of the other two, was that Parson and Telson were invited and were coming!
He had tried one or two other fellows first. He had sounded Coates on the subject, but he unfortunately was engaged. He had pressed Wyndham to come, but Wyndham was busy that evening with the library. He had appealed to one or two other schoolhouse Limpets, but all, on hearing that the doctor and Co. were to be present, respectfully declined.
Finally Brown dropped upon Telson, and condescendingly proposed to him to be present as one of his two friends.
Telson thought the matter over and fancied it promised well. He liked the sound of the jellies and the tipsy-cake, and just at present he knew of no special reason for “funking” the doctor. As for the doctor’s ladies, Telson had never seen them, so they did not weigh particularly with him.
“Who else is going?” he asked.
“Oh, I don’t know yet,” said Brown, rather grandly. “I’ve one or two fellows in my mind.”
“Why don’t you ask young Parson?” suggested Telson, innocently.
“Parson? he’s not a schoolhouse kid.”
“I know he’s not, but he and I are very chummy, you know. I wouldn’t mind coming if he went.”
“I’ll see,” said Brown, mightily, but secretly relieved to know of some one likely to come as his second “friend.”