May 16.—­I told Mr. Perkupp the contents of the letter in a modified form, but Mr. Perkupp said:  “Pray don’t discuss the matter; it is at an end.  Your son will bring his punishment upon himself.”  I went home in the evening, thinking of the hopeless future of Lupin.  I found him in most extravagant spirits and in evening dress.  He threw a letter on the table for me to read.

To my amazement, I read that Gylterson and Sons had absolutely engaged Lupin at a salary of 200 pounds a year, with other advantages.  I read the letter through three times and thought it must have been for me.  But there it was—­Lupin Pooter—­plain enough.  I was silent.  Lupin said:  “What price Perkupp now?  You take my tip, Guv.—­’off’ with Perkupp and freeze on to Gylterson, the firm of the future!  Perkupp’s firm?  The stagnant dummies have been standing still for years, and now are moving back.  I want to go on.  In fact I must go off, as I am dining with the Murray Poshs to-night.”

In the exuberance of his spirits he hit his hat with his stick, gave a loud war “Whoo-oop,” jumped over a chair, and took the liberty of rumpling my hair all over my forehead, and bounced out of the room, giving me no chance of reminding him of his age and the respect which was due to his parent.  Gowing and Cummings came in the evening, and positively cheered me up with congratulations respecting Lupin.

Gowing said:  “I always said he would get on, and, take my word, he has more in his head than we three put together.”

Carrie said:  “He is a second Hardfur Huttle.”

CHAPTER XXII

Master Percy Edgar Smith James.  Mrs. James (of Sutton) visits us again and introduces “Spiritual Seances.”

May 26, Sunday.—­We went to Sutton after dinner to have meat-tea with Mr. and Mrs. James.  I had no appetite, having dined well at two, and the entire evening was spoiled by little Percy—­their only son—­who seems to me to be an utterly spoiled child.

Two or three times he came up to me and deliberately kicked my shins.  He hurt me once so much that the tears came into my eyes.  I gently remonstrated with him, and Mrs. James said:  “Please don’t scold him; I do not believe in being too severe with young children.  You spoil their character.”

Little Percy set up a deafening yell here, and when Carrie tried to pacify him, he slapped her face.

I was so annoyed, I said:  “That is not my idea of bringing up children, Mrs. James.”

Mrs. James said.  “People have different ideas of bringing up children—­even your son Lupin is not the standard of perfection.”

A Mr. Mezzini (an Italian, I fancy) here took Percy in his lap.  The child wriggled and kicked and broke away from Mr. Mezzini, saying:  “I don’t like you—­you’ve got a dirty face.”

A very nice gentleman, Mr. Birks Spooner, took the child by the wrist and said:  “Come here, dear, and listen to this.”