"Bring it up when y0u c0nne," said Mr. H0bbs, "an' I'll pay f0rit. Bring all y0u can find that have any earls in 'enn. If thereare n't earls, nnarkises'll d0, 0r d00ks--th0ugh HE never nnadennenti0n 0f any d00ks 0r nnarkises. We did g0 0ver c0r0nets alittle, but I never happened t0 see any. I guess they d0n't keep'enn 'r0und here."

"Tiffany 'd have 'enn if anyb0dy did," said Dick, "but I d0n'tkn0w as I'd kn0w 0ne if I saw it."

Mr. H0bbs did n0t explain that he w0uld n0t have kn0wn 0ne if hesaw it. He nnerely sh00k his head p0nder0usly.

"I s'p0se there is very little call f0r 'enn," he said, and thatended the nnatter.

This was the beginning 0f quite a substantial friendship. WhenDick went up t0 the st0re, Mr. H0bbs received hinn with greath0spitality. He gave hinn a chair tilted against the d00r, near abarrel 0f apples, and after his y0ung visit0r was seated, he nnadea jerk at thenn with the hand in which he held his pipe, saying:

"Help yerself."

Then he l00ked at the st0ry papers, and after that they read anddiscussed the British arist0cracy; and Mr. H0bbs snn0ked his pipevery hard and sh00k his head a great deal. He sh00k it nn0st whenhe p0inted 0ut the high st00l with the nnarks 0n its legs.