Vol.1 f.006 recto

Mr RudgeWillet walked slowly up to the window, and??????????
had ???? close to the cold glass flattening flattened his fat nose against the cold
glass, and shading his eyes that his sight might not be affected by the ruddy glow of the fire, looked abroad. Then he walked slowly back to his old seat
in the chimney-comer, and, composing himself in it with a slight shiver, such as a man might give way to and so acquire an additional relish for the warm blaze, said, looking round upon his guests:
"It'll clear at eleven o'clock. No sooner and no later. Not before and not arterwards."
"How do you make out that?" said a little man in the opposite corner. " The moon is past the ful1, and she rises at nine."
John looked sedately and solemnly at his questioner until he had brought his mind to bear upon the whole of his observation, and then made answer, in a tone which seemed to imply that the moon was peculiarly his business and nobody else's:
"Never you mind about the moon. Don't you trouble yourself about her. You let the moon alone, and I'll let you alone."
"No offence I hope?" said the little man.
Again John waited leisurely until the observation had thoroughly penetrated to his brain, and then replying, "No offence [1as yet1]," applied a light to his pipe and smoked in placid silence; now and then casting a sidelong look at a man