A great deal of interest was aroused in the neighbourhood by the arrival of Gissing's nephews, as he called them.Several of the ladies, who had ignored him hitherto, called, in his absence, and left extra cards.This implied (he supposed, though he was not closely versed in such niceties of society) that there was a Mrs.Gissing, and he was annoyed, for he feltcertain they knew he was a bachelor.But the children were a source of nothing but pride to him.They grew with astounding rapidity, ate their food without coaxing, rarely cried at night, and gave him much amusement by their naive ways.He was too occupied to be troubled with introspection.Indeed, his well-ordered home was very different from before.The trim lawn, in spite of his zealous efforts, was constantly littered with toys.In sheer mischief the youngsters got into his wardrobe and chewed off.the tails of his evening dress coat.But he felt a satisfying dignity and happiness in his new status as head of a family.
What worried him most was the fear that Fuji would complain of this sudden addition to his duties.The butler's face was rather an enigma, particularly at meal times, when Gissing sat at the dinner table surrounded by the three puppies in their high chairs, with a spindrift of milk and prune-juice spattering generously as the youngsters plied their spoons.Fuji had arranged a series of scuppers, made of oilcloth, underneath the chairs; but in spite of this the dining-room rug, after a meal, looked much as the desert place must have after the feeding of the multitude.Fuji, who was pensive, recalled the five loaves and two fishes that produced twelve baskets of fragments.The vacuum cleaner got clogged by a surfeit of crumbs.
Gissing saw that it would be a race between heart and head.If Fuji's heart should become entangled (that is, if the innocent charms of the children should engage his affections before his reason convinced him that the situation was now too arduous, there was some hope.He tried to ease the problem also by mental suggestion."It is really remarkable" (he said to Fuji) "that children should give one so little trouble." As he made this remark, he was speeding hotly to and fro between the bathroom and the nursery, trying to get one tucked in bed and another undressed, while the third was lashing the tub into soapy foam.Fuji made his habitual response, "Very good, sir." But one fears that he detected some insincerity, for the next day, which was Sunday, he gave notice.This generally happens on a Sunday, because the papers publish more Help Wanted advertisements then than on any other day.
"I'm sorry, sir," he said."But when I took this place there was nothingsaid about three children."
This was unreasonable of Fuji.It is very rare to have everything explained beforehand.When Adam and Eve were put into the Garden of Eden, there was nothing said about the serpent.
However, Gissing did not believe in entreating a servant to stay.He offered to give Fuji a raise, but the butler was still determined to leave.
"My senses are very delicate," he said."I really cannot stand the--well, the aroma exhaled by those three children when they have had a warm bath.""What nonsense!" cried Gissing."The smell of wet, healthy puppies? Nothing is more agreeable.You are cold-blooded: I don't believe you are fond of puppies.Think of their wobbly black noses.Consider how pink is the little cleft between their toes and the main cushion of their feet.Their ears are like silk.Inside their upper jaws are parallel black ridges, most remarkable.I never realized before how beautifully and carefully we are made.I am surprised that you should be so indifferent to these things."There was a moisture in Fuji's eyes, but he left at the end of the week.
