The only alleviating circumstance in a tête-a-tête with uncle Pullet was that he kept a variety of lozenges and peppermint drops about his person, and when at a loss for conversation, he filled up the void by proposing a mutual solace of this kind.

`Do you like peppermints, young sir?' required only a tacit answer when it was accompanied by a presentation of the article in question.

The appearance of the little girls suggested to uncle Pullet the further solace of small sweet cakes, of which he also kept a stock under lock and key for his own private eating on wet days: but the three children had no sooner got the tempting delicacy between their fingers, than aunt Pullet desired them to abstain from eating it till the tray and the plates came, since with those crisp cakes they would make the floor `all over' crumbs. Lucy didn't mind that much, for the cake was so pretty, she thought it was rather a pity to eat it, but Tom, watching his opportunity while the elders were talking, hastily stowed it in his mouth at two bites, and chewed it furtively. As for Maggie, becoming fascinated, as usual, by a print of Ulysses and Nausicaa, which uncle Pullet had bought as a `pretty Scripture thing,' she presently let fall her cake and in an unlucky movement, crushed it beneath her foot - a source of so much agitation to aunt Pullet and conscious disgrace to Maggie that she began to despair of hearing the musical snuff-box to-day, till after some reflection, it occurred to her that Lucy was in high favour enough to venture on asking for a tune. So she whispered to Lucy, and Lucy, who always did what she was desired to do, went up quietly to her uncle's knee and blushing all over her neck while she fingered her necklace, said, `Will you please play us a tune, uncle?'

Lucy thought it was by reason of some exceptional talent in uncle Pullet that the snuff-box played such beautiful tunes, and indeed the thing was viewed in that light by the majority of his neighbours in Garum. Mr Pullet had bought the box, to begin with, and he understood winding it up, and knew which tune it was going to play beforehand: altogether, the possession of this unique `piece of misic' was a proof that Mr Pullet's character was not of that entire nullity which might otherwise have been attributed to it.

But uncle Pullet when entreated to exhibit his accomplishment, never depreciated it by a too ready consent. `We'll see about it,' was the answer he always gave, carefully abstaining from any sign of compliance till a suitable number of minutes had passed. Uncle Pullet had a programme for all great social occasions, and in this way fenced himself in from much painful confusion and perplexing freedom of will.

Perhaps the suspense did heighten Maggie's enjoyment when the fairy tune began: for the first time she quite forgot that she had a load on her mind - that Tom was angry with her; and by the time `Hush, ye pretty warbling choir' had been played, her face wore that bright look of happiness, while she sat immovable with her hands clasped, which sometimes comforted her mother with the sense that Maggie could look rather pretty now and then in spite of her brown skin. But when the magic music ceased, she jumped up and running towards Tom, put her arm round his neck and said, `O Tom, isn't it pretty?'

Lest you should think it showed a revolting insensibility in Tom that he felt any new anger towards Maggie for this uncalled for and to him inexplicable caress, I must tell you that he had his glass of cowslip wine in his hand, and that she jerked him so as to make him spill half of it. He must have been an extreme milksop not to say angrily, `Look there, now!' expecially when his resentment was sanctioned, as it was, by general disapprobation of Maggie's behaviour.

`Why don't you sit still, Maggie?' her mother said peevishly.

`Little gells mustn't come to see me if they behave in that way,' said aunt Pullet.

`Why, you're too rough, little miss,' said uncle Pullet.

Poor Maggie sat down again, with the music all chased out of her soul, and the seven small demons all in again.