I could endure it no longer.  “Take that clock away!” I said.  They took it away.  They took me away, too,—­they thought I needed country air.  The sounds and motions still pursued me in imagination.  I was very nervous when I came here.  The walks are pleasant, but the walls seem to me unnecessarily high.  The boarders are numerous; a little miscellaneous, I think.  But we have the Queen, and the President of the United States, and several other distinguished persons, if we may trust what they tell about themselves.

After we had listened to Number Five’s story, I was requested to read a couple of verses written by me when the guest of my friends, whose name is hinted by the title prefixed to my lines.

        LaMaison D’OR.

        Barharbor.

   From this fair home behold on either side
   The restful mountains or the restless sea: 
   So the warm sheltering walls of life divide
   Time and its tides from still eternity.

   Look on the waves:  their stormy voices teach
   That not on earth may toil and struggle cease. 
   Look on the mountains:  better far than speech
   Their silent promise of eternal peace.

VIII.

I had intended to devote this particular report to an account of my replies to certain questions which have been addressed to me,—­questions which I have a right to suppose interest the public, and which, therefore, I was justified in bringing before The Teacups, and presenting to the readers of these articles.

Some may care for one of these questions, and some for another.  A good many young people think nothing about life as it presents itself in the far horizon, bounded by the snowy ridges of threescore and the dim peaks beyond that remote barrier.  Again, there are numbers of persons who know nothing at all about the Jews; while, on the other hand, there are those who can, or think they can, detect the Israelitish blood in many of their acquaintances who believe themselves of the purest Japhetic origin, and are full of prejudices about the Semitic race.

I do not mean to be cheated out of my intentions.  I propose to answer my questioners on the two points just referred to, but I find myself so much interested in the personal affairs of The Teacups that I must deal with them before attacking those less exciting subjects.  There is no use, let me say here, in addressing to me letters marked “personal,” “private,” “confidential,” and so forth, asking me how I came to know what happened in certain conversations of which I shall give a partial account.  If there is a very sensitive phonograph lying about here and there in unsuspected corners, that might account for some part of my revelations.  If Delilah, whose hearing is of almost supernatural delicacy, reports to me what she overhears, it might explain a part of the mystery.  I do not want to accuse Delilah, but a young person who assures me she can hear my watch ticking in my pocket, when I am in the next room, might undoubtedly tell many secrets, if so disposed.  Number Five is pretty nearly omniscient, and she and I are on the best terms with each other.  These are all the hints I shall give you at present.