Anywhere, and
any moment, he might burst out into unexpected revelation. 'A little
alteration,' he suggested hopefully, 'and it would be all right--don't
you think?' And then he added 'perhaps.'
He turned and showed himself. Even the roar of laughter that greeted
his appearance did not quite convince him. He looked like a fat,
impoverished bookmaker.
'I think it will fit Edward better,' said Mother again without pity,
for she did not like to see her husband look foolish before the
children. He disappeared behind the screen, but repeated the
performance with two other suits. 'This striped one seems a little
looser,' he said; or, 'If you'd let out the trousers at the bottom, I
think they would do.' But in the end all he got from the box was two
pairs of pink silk pyjamas, the Homburg hat, several pairs of gloves,
spats, and gaiters, and half a dozen neckties that no one else would
wear. He made his heap carefully in the corner of the room, and later,
when the mess was all cleared up and everybody went off with their
respective treasures, he entirely forgot them in his pleasure and
admiration of the others. He left them lying in the corner. Riquette
slept on them that night, and next morning Jimbo brought them over for
him to the carpenter's house. And Edward later magnanimously yielded
up two flannel shirts because he had so many left over from the
previous box.
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