and perhaps some money to be had."

Mark soon made the acquaintance of the stablemen, and a few pints of
beer put them on good terms with him. Every day he took rides round the
neighborhood, going out early, stabling his horse, and after having a
chat with the ostlers, strolling round the place. Clapham, Ewell, and
Streatham were also visited.

"I know of a place that would just suit you," the ostler at the
Greyhound at Streatham said to him, on the occasion of his third visit
there; "but it is let; my old mother is the gentleman's housekeeper.
He took the place through me, for he rode up just as you have done, one
afternoon, nigh a year ago. He was from town, he was; he told me that
he had been going the pace too hard, and had to pull in, and wanted a
little place where he could keep his horse and live quiet for a time. I
told him of a place that I thought would suit him just outside the town,
and he called in the next day and told me he had taken it. 'Now,' he
said, 'I want a woman as house keeper; an old woman, you know. I cannot
be bothered with a young one. If you speak a civil word to a wench she
soon fancies you are in love with her. I want one who can cook a chop or
a steak, fry me a bit of bacon, and boil an egg and keep the place tidy.
I intend to look after my horse myself.'

"'Well, sir,' I said, 'there is my old mother. She is a widow, and it
is as much as she can do to keep off the parish. She is reckoned a tidy
cook and a good cleaner, and she could keep herself well enough if it
wasn't that she is so hard of hearing that many people don't care to
employ her.'

"'I don't care a rap about that,' he said. 'I shall not need to talk to
her except to tell her what I will have for dinner, and if she is deaf
she won't want to be away gossiping. Does she live near here?'

"'She lives in the town,' I said. 'I can fetch her down in half an
hour.'

"'That will do,' says he. 'I am going to have lunch. When I have, done I
will come out and speak with her.'

"Well, sir, he engaged her right off, and he tipped me a guinea for
finding the place for him, and there he has been ever since. It was a
lucky job for mother, for she says there never was a gentleman that gave
less trouble. He is a wonderful quiet man, and in general stops at home
all the day smoking and reading. He has a boy comes in two or three
times a week to work in the garden. Sometimes of an evening he rides up
to town. I expect he cannot keep away