“We are here before you, you see, Christopher,” said Mr. Garland, smiling.

“Yes, sir,” said Kit, and as he said it, he looked towards his mother for an explanation of the visit.

“The gentleman’s been kind enough, my dear,” said she, “to ask me whether you were in a good place, or in any place at all, and when I told him no, he was so good as to say that——­”

“That we wanted a good lad in our house,” said the old lady and the old gentleman both together, “and that perhaps we might think of it, if we found everything as we would wish it to be.”

As this thinking of it plainly meant the thinking of engaging Kit, he immediately fell into a great flutter; for the little old couple were very methodical and cautious, and asked so many questions that he began to be afraid there was no chance of his success; but to his surprise at last he found himself formally hired at an annual income of Six Pounds, over and above his board and lodging, by Mr. and Mrs. Garland, of Abel Cottage, Finchley; and it was settled that he should repair to his new abode on the next day but one.

“Well, mother,” said Kit, hurrying back into the house, after he had seen the old people to their carriage, “I think my fortune’s about made now.”

“I should think it was indeed, Kit!” rejoined his mother.  “Six pound a year!  Only think!”

“Ah!” said Kit, trying to maintain the gravity which the consideration of such a sum demanded, but grinning with delight in spite of himself.  “There’s a property!  Please God, we’ll make such a lady of you for Sundays, mother! such a scholar of Jacob, such a child of the baby, such a room of the one upstairs!  Six pound a year!”

The remainder of that day, and the whole of the next, were a busy time for the Nubbles family, to whom everything connected with Kit’s outfit and departure was matter of as great moment as if he had been about to penetrate into the interior of Africa, or to take a cruise round the world.  It would be difficult to suppose that there ever was a box which was opened and shut so many times within four-and-twenty hours as that which contained his wardrobe and necessaries; and certainly there never was one which to two small eyes presented such a mine of clothing as this mighty chest, with its three shirts, and proportionate allowance of stockings and pocket-handkerchiefs, disclosed to the astonished vision of little Jacob.

At last, after many kisses and hugs and tears, Kit left the house on the next morning, and set out to walk to Finchley.

He wore no livery, but was dressed in a coat of pepper-and-salt, with waistcoat of canary colour, and nether garments of iron-grey; besides these glories, he shone in the lustre of a new pair of boots and an extremely stiff and shiny hat.  And in this attire, rather wondering that he attracted so little attention, he made his way towards Abel Cottage.