A chair had been placed close to the central window, with its back turned towards it.

In this I was asked to sit, and then Mr.Rucastle, walking up and down on the other side of the room, began to tell me a series of the funniest stories that I have ever listened to.

You cannot imagine how comical he was, and I laughed until I was quite weary.

Mrs.
Rucastle, however, who has evidently no sense of humour, never so much as smiled, but sat with her hands in her lap, and a sad, anxious look upon her face.

After an hour or so, Mr.Rucastle suddenly remarked that it was time to commence the duties of the day, and that I might change my dress and go to little Edward in the nursery.
"Two days later this same performance was gone through under exactly similar circumstances.