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always been most kind to me, so I told him everything, including

yesterday's adventure. Mr. Perkupp kindly replied: "There is no
necessity for you to be anxious, Mr. Pooter. It would be

impossible for a son of such good parents to turn out erroneously.
Remember he is young, and will soon get older. I wish we could

find room for him in this firm." The advice of this good man takes
loads off my mind. In the evening Lupin came in.

After our little supper, he said: "My dear parents, I have some
news, which I fear will affect you considerably." I felt a qualm

come over me, and said nothing. Lupin then said: "It may distress
you - in fact, I'm sure it will - but this afternoon I have given

up my pony and trap for ever." It may seem absurd, but I was so
pleased, I immediately opened a bottle of port. Gowing dropped in

just in time, bringing with him a large sheet, with a print of a
tailless donkey, which he fastened against the wall. He then

produced several separate tails, and we spent the remainder of the
evening trying blindfolded to pin a tail on in the proper place.

My sides positively ached with laughter when I went to bed.
February 12. - In the evening I spoke to Lupin about his engagement

with Daisy Mutlar. I asked if he had heard from her. He replied:
"No; she promised that old windbag of a father of hers that she

would not communicate with me. I see Frank Mutlar, of course; in
fact, he said he might call again this evening." Frank called, but

said he could not stop, as he had a friend waiting outside for him,
named Murray Posh, adding he was quite a swell. Carrie asked Frank

to bring him in.
He was brought in, Gowing entering at the same time. Mr. Murray

Posh was a tall, fat young man, and was evidently of a very nervous
disposition, as he subsequently confessed he would never go in a

hansom cab, nor would he enter a four-wheeler until the driver had
first got on the box with his reins in his hands.

On being introduced, Gowing, with his usual want of tact, said:
"Any relation to 'Posh's three-shilling hats'?" Mr. Posh replied:

"Yes; but please understand I don't try on hats myself. I take no
ACTIVE part in the business." I replied: "I wish I had a business

like it." Mr. Posh seemed pleased, and gave a long but most
interesting history of the extraordinary difficulties in the

manufacture of cheap hats.
Murray Posh evidently knew Daisy Mutlar very intimately" target="_blank" title="ad.密切地;熟悉地">intimately from the

way he was talking of her; and Frank said to Lupin once,
laughingly: "If you don't look out, Posh will cut you out!" When

they had all gone, I referred to this flippant conversation; and
Lupin said, sarcastically: "A man who is jealous has no respect

for himself. A man who would be jealous of an elephant like Murray
Posh could only have a contempt for himself. I know Daisy. She

WOULD wait ten years for me, as I said before; in fact, if
necessary, SHE WOULD WAIT TWENTY YEARS FOR ME."

CHAPTER XVI.
We lose money over Lupin's advice as to investment" target="_blank" title="n.投资;(时间等)投入">investment, so does

Cummings. Murray Posh engaged to Daisy Mutlar.
February 18. - Carrie has several times recently called attention

to the thinness of my hair at the top of my head, and recommended
me to get it seen to. I was this morning trying to look at it by

the aid of a small hand-glass, when somehow my elbow caught against
the edge of the chest of drawers and knocked the glass out of my

hand and smashed it. Carrie was in an awful way about it, as she
is rather absurdly superstitious. To make matters worse, my large

photograph in the drawing-room fell during the night, and the glass
cracked.

Carrie said: "Mark my words, Charles, some misfortune is about to
happen."

I said: "Nonsense, dear."
In the evening Lupin arrived home early, and seemed a little

agitated. I said: "What's up, my boy?" He hesitated a good deal,
and then said: "You know those Parachikka Chlorates I advised you

to invest 20 pounds in? I replied: "Yes, they are all right, I
trust?" He replied: "Well, no! To the surprise of everybody,

they have utterly collapsed."
My breath was so completely taken away, I could say nothing.

Carrie looked at me, and said: "What did I tell you?" Lupin,
after a while, said: "However, you are speciallyfortunate. I

received an early tip, and sold out yours immediately, and was
fortunate to get 2 pounds for them. So you get something after

all."
I gave a sigh of relief. I said: "I was not so sanguine as to

suppose, as you predicted, that I should get six or eight times the
amount of my investment" target="_blank" title="n.投资;(时间等)投入">investment; still a profit of 2 pounds is a good

percentage for such a short time." Lupin said, quite irritably:
"You don't understand. I sold your 20 pounds shares for 2 pounds;

you therefore lose 18 pounds on the transaction, whereby Cummings
and Gowing will lose the whole of theirs."

February 19. - Lupin, before going to town, said: "I am very sorry
about those Parachikka Chlorates; it would not have happened if the

boss, Job Cleanands, had been in town. Between ourselves, you must
not be surprised if something goes wrong at our office. Job

Cleanands has not been seen the last few days, and it strikes me
several people DO want to see him very particularly."

In the evening Lupin was just on the point of going out to avoid a
collision with Gowing and Cummings, when the former entered the

room, without knocking, but with his usual trick of saying, "May I
come in?"

He entered, and to the surprise of Lupin and myself, seemed to be
in the very best of spirits. Neither Lupin nor I broached the

subject to him, but he did so of his own accord. He said: "I say,
those Parachikka Chlorates have gone an awful smash! You're a nice

one, Master Lupin. How much do you lose?" Lupin, to my utter
astonishment, said: "Oh! I had nothing in them. There was some

informality in my application - I forgot to enclose the cheque or
something, and I didn't get any. The Guv. loses 18 pounds." I

said: "I quite understood you were in it, or nothing would have
induced me to speculate." Lupin replied: "Well, it can't be

helped; you must go double on the next tip." Before I could reply,
Gowing said: "Well, I lose nothing, fortunately. From what I

heard, I did not quite believe in them, so I persuaded Cummings to
take my 15 pounds worth, as he had more faith in them than I had."

Lupin burst out laughing, and, in the most unseemly manner, said:
"Alas, poor Cummings. He'll lose 35 pounds." At that moment there

was a ring at the bell. Lupin said: "I don't want to meet
Cummings." If he had gone out of the door he would have met him in

the passage, so as quickly as possible Lupin opened the parlour
window and got out. Gowing jumped up suddenly, exclaiming: "I

don't want to see him either!" and, before I could say a word, he
followed Lupin out of the window.

For my own part, I was horrified to think my own son and one of my
most intimate friends should depart from the house like a couple of

interrupted burglars. Poor Cummings was very upset, and of course
was naturally very angry both with Lupin and Gowing. I pressed him

to have a little whisky, and he replied that he had given up
whisky; but would like a little "Unsweetened," as he was advised it

was the most healthy spirit. I had none in the house, but sent
Sarah round to Lockwood's for some.

February 20. - The first thing that caught my eye on opening the
STANDARD was - "Great Failure of Stock and Share Dealers! Mr. Job

Cleanands absconded!" I handed it to Carrie, and she replied:
"Oh! perhaps it's for Lupin's good. I never did think it a

suitable situation for him." I thought the whole affair very
shocking.

Lupin came down to breakfast, and seeing he looked painfully
distressed, I said: "We know the news, my dear boy, and feel very

sorry for you." Lupin said: "How did you know? who told you?" I
handed him the STANDARD. He threw the paper down, and said: "Oh I

don't care a button for that! I expected that, but I did not
expect this." He then read a letter from Frank Mutlar, announcing,

in a cool manner, that Daisy Mutlar is to be married next month to
Murray Posh. I exclaimed, "Murray Posh! Is not that the very man

Frank had the impudence to bring here last Tuesday week?" Lupin
said: "Yes; the 'POSH'S-THREE-SHILLING-HATS' chap."

We all then ate our breakfast in dead silence.
In fact, I could eat nothing. I was not only too worried, but I

cannot and will not eat cushion of bacon. If I cannot get streaky
bacon, I will do without anything.

When Lupin rose to go I noticed a malicious smile creep over his
face. I asked him what it meant. He replied: "Oh! only a little

consolation - still it is a consolation. I have just remembered
that, by MY advice, Mr. Murray Posh has invested 600 pounds in

Parachikka Chlorates!"
CHAPTER XVII.

Marriage of Daisy Mutlar and Murray Posh. The dream of my life
realised. Mr. Perkupp takes Lupin into the office.

March 20. - To-day being the day on which Daisy Mutlar and Mr.
Murray Posh are to be married, Lupin has gone with a friend to

spend the day at Gravesend. Lupin has been much cut-up over the
affair, although he declares that he is glad it is off. I wish he

would not go to so many music-halls, but one dare not say anything
to him about it. At the present moment he irritates me by singing

all over the house some nonsense about "What's the matter with
Gladstone? He's all right! What's the matter with Lupin? He's

all right!" I don't think either of them is. In the evening
Gowing called, and the chief topic of conversation was Daisy's

marriage to Murray Posh. I said: "I was glad the matter was at an
end, as Daisy would only have made a fool of Lupin." Gowing, with

his usual good taste, said: "Oh, Master Lupin can make a fool of
himself without any assistance." Carrie very properly resented

this, and Gowing had sufficient sense to say he was sorry.
March 21. - To-day I shall conclude my diary, for it is one of the

happiest days of my life. My great dream of the last few weeks -
in fact, of many years - has been realised. This morning came a

letter from Mr. Perkupp, asking me to take Lupin down to the office
with me. I went to Lupin's room; poor fellow, he seemed very pale,

and said he had a bad headache. He had come back yesterday from
Gravesend, where he spent part of the day in a small boat on the

water, having been mad enough to neglect to take his overcoat with
him. I showed him Mr. Perkupp's letter, and he got up as quickly

as possible. I begged of him not to put on his fast-coloured
clothes and ties, but to dress in something black or quiet-looking.

Carrie was all of a tremble when she read the letter, and all she
could keep on saying was: "Oh, I DO hope it will be all right."

For myself, I could scarcely eat any breakfast. Lupin came down
dressed quietly, and looking a perfect gentleman, except that his

face was rather yellow. Carrie, by way of encouragement said:
"You do look nice, Lupin." Lupin replied: "Yes, it's a good make-

up, isn't it? A regular-downright-respectable-funereal-first-
class-City-firm-junior-clerk." He laughed rather ironically.

In the hall I heard a great noise, and also Lupin shouting to Sarah
to fetch down his old hat. I went into the passage, and found

Lupin in a fury, kicking and smashing a new tall hat. I said:
"Lupin, my boy, what are you doing? How wicked of you! Some poor

fellow would be glad to have it." Lupin replied: "I would not
insult any poor fellow by giving it to him."

When he had gone outside, I picked up the battered hat, and saw
inside "Posh's Patent." Poor Lupin! I can forgive him. It seemed

hours before we reached the office. Mr. Perkupp sent for Lupin,
who was with him nearly an hour. He returned, as I thought,

crestfallen in appearance. I said: "Well, Lupin, how about Mr.
Perkupp?" Lupin commenced his song: "What's the matter with

Perkupp? He's all right!" I felt instinctively my boy was
engaged. I went to Mr. Perkupp, but I could not speak. He said:

"Well, Mr. Pooter, what is it?" I must have looked a fool, for all
I could say was: "Mr. Perkupp, you are a good man." He looked at

me for a moment, and said: "No, Mr. Pooter, YOU are the good man;
and we'll see if we cannot get your son to follow such an excellent



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