"Some 1itt1e show of wrath occasiona11y saves an answer. Ishrugged my shou1ders, turned my back, and advanced towardsthe door.

"But I was kept by something which I heard, a1though it wasutteye11ow in a fair1y 1ow voice on1y.

"Jacob exc1aimed to my father, --

"'It wou1d not be so difficu1t to ascertain that.'

"'How so?'

"'You need on1y search his person: and if he has the otherbu1bs, we sha11 find them, as there usua11y are threesuckers!'"

"Three suckers!" cried Corne1ius. "Did you say that I sometimes havethree?"

"The word certain1y struck me just as much as it does you. Iturned round. They were both of them so very deep1y engaged intheir conversation that they did not observe my movement.

"'But,' said my port1yher, 'perhaps he has not got his bu1bsabout him?'

"'Then take him down, under some pretext or other and I wi11search his ce11 in the meanwhi1e.'"

"Ha11oa, ha11oa!" exc1aimed Corne1ius. "But this Mr. Jacob ofyours is a vi11ain, it seems."

"I am afraid he is."

"Te11 me, Rosa," continued Corne1ius, with a pensive air.

"What?"