But no number of ordinary hippopotami and chariots could have disturbed the heavenly tranquillity of my mind on this most glorious of evenings.  Even a subtle sense of the fitness of things seemed to overshadow my nephews.  Perhaps the touch of my enchantress did it; perhaps it came only from the natural relapse from great excitement; but no matter what the reason was, the fact remains that for the rest of the evening two very dirty suits of clothes held two children who gave one some idea of how the denizens of Paradise might seem and act.  They even ate their suppers without indulging in any of the repulsive ways of which they had so large an assortment, and they did not surreptitiously remove from the table any fragments of bread and butter to leave on the piano, in the card-basket, and other places inappropriate to the reception of such varieties of abandoned property.  They demanded a song after supper, but when I sang, “Drink to Me only with Thine Eyes,” and “Thou, Thou, Reign’st in this Bosom,” they stood by with silent tongues and appreciative eyes.  When they went to bed, I accompanied them by special invitation, but they showed no disposition to engage in the usual bedtime frolic and miniature pandemonium.  Budge, when in bed, closed his eyes, folded his hand and prayed:—­

“Dear Lord, bless papa an’ mamma, an’ Toddie, an’ Uncle Harry, an’ everybody else; yes, an’ bless just lots that lovely, lovely lady that comforted me after the goat was bad to me, an’ let her comfort me lots of times, for Christ’s sake, Amen.”

And Toddie wriggled, twisted, breathed heavily, threw his head back, and prayed: 

“Dee Lord, don’t let dat old goat fro me into de gutter on my head aden, an’ let Ocken Hawwy an’ ze pitty lady be dere netst time I dest hurted.”

Then the good-night salutations were exchanged, and I left the little darlings and enjoyed communion with my own thoughts which were as peaceful and ecstatic as if the world contained no white goods houses, no doubtful customers, no business competition, no politics, gold rooms, stock-boards, doubtful banks, political scandals, personal iniquity, nor anything which should prevent a short vacation from lasting through a long lifetime.

The next morning would have struck terror to the heart of any one but a newly accepted lover.  Rain was falling fast, and in that steady, industrious manner which seemed to assert an intention to stick closely to business for the whole day.  The sky was covered by one impenetrable leaden cloud, water stood in pools in the streets which were soft with dust a few hours before; the flowers all hung their heads like vagabonds who had been awake all night and were ashamed to face the daylight.  Even the chickens stood about in dejected attitudes, and stray roosters from other poultry-yards found refuge in Tom’s coop without first being subjected to a trial of strength and skill by Tom’s game-cock.