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and hilarious.
Soon Philip got into the habit of going to Athelny’s ev-
ery Sunday. He became a great favourite with the children,
because he was simple and unaffected and because it was so
plain that he was fond of them. As soon as they heard his
ring at the door one of them popped a head out of window
to make sure it was he, and then they all rushed downstairs
tumultuously to let him in. They flung themselves into his
arms. At tea they fought for the privilege of sitting next to
him. Soon they began to call him Uncle Philip.
Athelny was very communicative, and little by little
Philip learned the various stages of his life. He had followed
many occupations, and it occurred to Philip that he man-
aged to make a mess of everything he attempted. He had
been on a tea plantation in Ceylon and a traveller in Ameri-
ca for Italian wines; his secretaryship of the water company
in Toledo had lasted longer than any of his employments;
he had been a journalist and for some time had worked as
police-court reporter for an evening paper; he had been
sub-editor of a paper in the Midlands and editor of another
on the Riviera. From all his occupations he had gathered
amusing anecdotes, which he told with a keen pleasure in
his own powers of entertainment. He had read a great deal,
chiefly delighting in books which were unusual; and he
poured forth his stores of abstruse knowledge with child-
like enjoyment of the amazement of his hearers. Three or
four years before abject poverty had driven him to take the
job of press-representative to a large firm of drapers; and
though he felt the work unworthy his abilities, which he