to the haunted house by the obscurest route he knew.  His mother was gone; but she came back, by and by, with the news of the grand reception at Patsy Cooper’s, and soon persuaded him that the opportunity was like a special Providence, it was so inviting and perfect.  So he went raiding, after all, and made a nice success of it while everybody was gone to Patsy Cooper’s.  Success gave him nerve and even actual intrepidity; insomuch, indeed, that after he had conveyed his harvest to his mother in a back alley, he went to the reception himself, and added several of the valuables of that house to his takings.

After this long digression we have now arrived once more at the point where Pudd’nhead Wilson, while waiting for the arrival of the twins on that same Friday evening, sat puzzling over the strange apparition of that morning—­a girl in young Tom Driscoll’s bedroom; fretting, and guessing, and puzzling over it, and wondering who the shameless creature might be.

CHAPTER 11 —­ Pudd’nhead’s Thrilling Discovery

There are three infallible ways of pleasing an author, and the three form a rising scale of compliment:  1—­to tell him you have read one of his books; 2—­to tell him you have read all of his books; 3—­to ask him to let you read the manuscript of his forthcoming book.  No. 1 admits you to his respect; No. 2 admits you to his admiration; No. 3 carries you clear into his heart. —­Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar

     As to the Adjective:  when in doubt, strike it out. —­
     Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar

The twins arrived presently, and talk began.  It flowed along chattily and sociably, and under its influence the new friendship gathered ease and strength.  Wilson got out his Calendar, by request, and read a passage or two from it, which the twins praised quite cordially.  This pleased the author so much that he complied gladly when they asked him to lend them a batch of the work to read at home.  In the course of their wide travels, they had found out that there are three sure ways of pleasing an author; they were now working the best of the three.

There was an interruption now.  Young Driscoll appeared, and joined the party.  He pretended to be seeing the distinguished strangers for the first time when they rose to shake hands; but this was only a blind, as he had already had a glimpse of them, at the reception, while robbing the house.  The twins made mental note that he was smooth-faced and rather handsome, and smooth and undulatory in his movements—­graceful, in fact.  Angelo thought he had a good eye; Luigi thought there was something veiled and sly about it.  Angelo thought he had a pleasant free-and-easy way of talking; Luigi thought it was more so than was agreeable.  Angelo thought he was a sufficiently nice young man; Luigi reserved his decision.  Tom’s first contribution to the conversation was a question which he had put to Wilson a hundred times before.  It was always cheerily and good-natured put, and always inflicted a little pang, for it touched a secret sore; but this time the pang was sharp, since strangers were present.