`Idon’tknowwhatwouldhavehappened，Walter，’saidmymother，`ifyouhaddelayedmuchlonger。Pescahasbeenhalfmadwithimpatience，andIhavebeenhalfmadwithcuriosity。TheProfessorhasbroughtsomewonderfulnewswithhim，inwhichhesaysyouareconcerned；andhehascruellyrefusedtogiveusthesmallesthintofittillhisfriendWalterappeared。’
’Veryprovoking：itspoilstheSet，’murmuredSarahtoherself，mournfullyabsorbedovertheruinsofthebrokencup。
Whilethesewordswerebeingspoken，Pesca，happilyandfussilyunconsciousoftheirreparablewrongwhichthecrockeryhadsufferedathishands，wasdraggingalargearmchairtotheoppositeendoftheroom，soastocommandusallthree，inthecharacterofapublicspeakeraddressinganaudience。Havingturnedthechairwithitsbacktowardsus，hejumpedintoitonhisknees，andexcitedlyaddressedhissmallcongregationofthreefromanimpromptupulpit。
`Now，mygooddears，’beganPescawhoalwayssaid`gooddears’whenhemeant`worthyfriends’，`listentome。Thetimehascome——Irecitemygoodnews——Ispeakatlast。’
`Hear，hear！’saidmymother，humouringthejoke。