Poynsett's
room. "That funny little man in the loan museum has asked him to
help in the arrangement."
"Who is it?"
"The little watchmaker, or watch cobbler, in the old curiosity
shop."
"Yes; Terry calls him a descendant of the Genoese Frescobaldi, and
I'm sure his black eyes were never made for an English head. Terry
has always haunted those uncanny wares of his, and has pursued them
to the museum. ''Tis not every young gentleman I would wish to see
there,' says the old man, 'but the Honourable Mr. De Lancey has the
soul of an antiquarian.'"
"They say the old man is really very clever and well read."
"He looks like an old magician, with his white cap and spectacles,
and he had need to have a wand to bring order out of that awful
chaos. Everybody all round has gone and cleared out their rubbish-
closet. Upon my word, it looks so. There are pictures all one
network of cracks, and iron caps and gauntlets out of all the halls
in every stage of rust, and pots and pans and broken crocks, and
baskets of coin all verdigris and tarnish!--Pah!"
"Are Miles's birds safe?"
"Oh yes, with a swordfish's sword and a sawfish's saw making a
trophy on the top.
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