"May she starve to death, the cursed old harridan!" he ejaculated after a moment's rest.

Then he opened his dispatch-box.

In passing, I may say that I feel certain that at least SOME of my readers will be curious to know the contents and the internal arrangements of that receptacle.

Why should I not gratify their curiosity?
To begin with, the centre of the box contained a soap-dish, with, disposed around it, six or seven compartments for razors.

Next came square partitions for a sand-box [17] and an inkstand, as well as (scooped out in their midst) a hollow of pens, sealing-wax, and anything else that required more room.