'Do you expect me to wear four or five dozen noses?' asked he angrily.

'No, sir; certainly not, sir; great pick in this lot, sir. I think I shall be able to suit you in a nose this morning, sir; thank you, sir.'

'Humph,' said Mr. Smith.

'Now this is a neat nose, sir,' said the shopman, holding up a short thick one in his finger and thumb; 'just suit your style of face, sir; thank you, sir.'

6

Humph,' said Mr. Smith.

'The Roman nose, sir,' again said the shopman, picking out a very large one from the heap. 'Quite the fashionable nose of the day is the Roman.'

Humph,' said Mr. Smith.

'The clever nose, sir; slightly turned up at the point; very much worn, sir; thank you, sir.' Humph,' growled Mr. Smith.

Here's a sweet thing in noses,' said the man once more, taking up another kind. Allow me to put up this nose for you, sir. sir. I am quite sure it is a nose which will suit you, sir; thank you, sir.'

'I'll thank you, sir, to hold your tongue,' said Mr. Smith. I came here to buy a nose; not to listen to your magpie chatter.'

man.

Certainly, sir; thank you, sir,' said the shop

Mr. Smith put his nose in his pocket and left the shop. How was he to stick it on? Would glue do? but glue would leave such an ugly stain all round the edge. He went back to the toy-shop. Here; I say! How am I to stick on this

nose?' he asked.

'Very simple, sir.

Melt the edges at the fire.

Allow me, sir; thank you, sir,' said the shopman. He was already by the fire in the same room, melting the edges of the nose; next moment he had seized Mr. Smith by the nape of the neck with one hand and with the other clapped the nose upon his face. Mr. Smith kicked and struggled and roared with pain; the gutta-percha was boiling hot; but the man would not let him go; and when he did the nose was stuck so fast that nothing would get it off again.

At any rate, Mr. Smith had got a good-looking nose at last. He caught sight of it in the glass, and he smiled, for he was quite pleased with himself; and he walked along the street with his chin in the air, thinking what a handsome nose he had. It was a very hot broiling day.

All this had taken some time, and Mr. Smith was beginning to feel hungry.

hands of a porter, and set off walking to Rock Cottage, Aunt Harriette's house, Arthur felt rather disappointed; for although his mamma had advised him not to do so, he had dressed himself in all his best clothes, feeling sure that, as Tormouth was a sea-side place, that he should find lots of people to look at him.

When they arrived at Rock Cottage, Arthur walked away, without asking if he could be of any help to his aunt or sister, while George and Bessie made themselves very busy in unpacking, and Cousin Frank did not think himself too much of a man to carry things up-stairs for them; indeed, they were so merry together that Arthur had much better have stayed with them.

There was no one on the beach to admire Arthur's grey suit and blue necktie but some fishermen, who were sitting in a group of three or four under the shelter of a boat upon the shingles. Arthur walked to the place where they sat, and stood and looked at them, until one of the men observed, Well, youngster ?'

6

Always youngster'! Even at Tormouth already they had found out that he was young.

What are you doing?' asked Arthur.

there anything for a fellow to do in a place

T

THE

"Why, it seems ne swered the man; 'ta. may do amongst other 'I have not my o He knew very well to all, for he had never thought it sounded we The men laughed, ar a pity, ain't it? I ac next time.'

Then the men Su shoving the boat 1. for rest was over a sit there longer. Abeach. He had me he thought that w soon found a shoo on all sides to see the where within sta woman laughed Arthur tried to o to the beach wi

beach since he had left it, and he walked close to them puffing at his pipe. It was very disagreeable that, as he went by, he heard one of the ladies say, Look at that mere child smoking ; I wonder if his mother knows that he is doing so.'

'Of course not,' said the other. Why, he cannot be more than ten years old-little simpleton.' Ten! and he had been twelve last month.

Arthur grew very red, and tried to get out of hearing. He found the beach much more full of people than it had been before, so he had plenty to show off to. He staggered on. He would not have said to himself even that he began to feel sick; but there was no doubt that he did.

Hallo, youngster, here you be again!' said the voice of the same boatman to whom Arthur

had spoken half an hour before. He was sitting baiting his lobster-traps with pieces of common fish, such as dog-fish, which are not fit for people to eat. Well, what's up now?' asked the man, looking up from his work. 'Smoking, eh? You'd best not, unless you're used to it, my little man.' Arthur tried to smile, but he smiled all on one side, for he was so dreadfully sick.

'Do you like smoking, master?' said the boatman, with a grin.