“Not for a moment,” interrupted Hugh; and Miss Talbot resumed, evidently gratified.

“Well, if you wouldn’t mind stepping round the corner, I shouldn’t wonder if you might make an arrangement with Mr. Appleditch.  He said you might call upon him if you liked.”

Hugh jumped up, and got his hat at once; received the few necessary directions from Miss Talbot, and soon found the shop.  There were a good many poor people in it, buying sugar, and soap, &c.; and one lady apparently giving a large order.  A young man came to Hugh, and bent over the counter in a recipient position, like a live point of interrogation.  Hugh answered —­

“Mr. Appleditch.”

“Mr. Appleditch will be disengaged in a few minutes.  Will you take a seat?”

The grocer was occupied with the lady and her order; but as soon as she departed, he approached Hugh behind the rampart, and stood towards him in the usual retail attitude.

“My name is Sutherland.”

“Sutherland?” said Mr. Appleditch; “I think I’ve ’eard the name somewheres, but I don’t know the face.”

“Miss Talbot mentioned me to you, I understand, Mr. Appleditch.”

“Oh! ah!  I remember.  I beg your pardon.  Will you step this way, Mr. Sutherland?”

Hugh followed him through a sort of draw-bridge which he lifted in the counter, into a little appendix at the back of the shop.  Mr. Appleditch was a meek-looking man, with large eyes, plump pasty cheeks, and a thin little person.

“’Ow de do, Mr. Sutherland?” said he, holding out his hand, as soon as they had reached this retreat.

“Thank you —­ quite well;” answered Sutherland, shaking hands with him as well as he could, the contact not being altogether pleasant.

“So you want pupils, do you, sir?”

“Yes.”

“Ah! well you see, sir, pupils is scarce at this season.  They ain’t to be bought in every shop —­ ha! ha!” (The laugh was very mild.) “But I think Mrs. Appleditch could find you one, if you could agree with her about the charge, you know, and all that.”

“How old is he?  A boy, I suppose?”

“Well, you’re right, sir.  It is a boy.  Not very old, though.  My Samuel is just ten, but a wonderful forward boy for his years —­ bless him!”

“And what would you wish him to learn?”

“Oh!  Latin and Greek, and all that.  We intend bringing him up for the ministry. —­ I hope your opinions are decided, sir?”

“On some points, they are.  But I do not know to what you refer, exactly.”

“I mean theological opinions, sir.”

“But I shall not have to teach your little boy theology.”

“Certainly not, sir.  That department belongs to his mother and I. Unworthy vessels, sir; mere earthen vessels; but filled with the grace of God, I hope, sir.”

The grocer parted his hands, which he had been rubbing together during this conversation, and lifted them upwards from the wrists, like the fins of a seal; then, dropping them, fell to rubbing them again.