as the key of her own apartment.

On the inside, I question not, my honest friend; tapping again. And
being assured, if she heard my voice, that her timorous and soft temper
would make her betray herself, by some flutters, to my listning ear, I
said aloud, I am confident Miss Harlowe is here: dearest Madam, open the
door: admit me but for one moment to your presence.

But neither answer nor fluttering saluted my ear; and, the people being
very quiet, I led on to the next apartment; and, the key being on the
outside, I opened it, and looked all around it, and into the closet.

The mans said he never saw so uncivil a gentleman in his life.

Hark thee, friend, said I; let me advise thee to be a little decent; or
I shall teach thee a lesson thou never learnedst in all thy life.

Sir, said he, 'tis not like a gentleman, to affront a man in his own
house.

Then prythee, man, replied I, don't crow upon thine own dunghil.

I stept back to the locked door: My dear Miss Harlowe, I beg of you to
open the door, or I'll break it open;--pushing hard against it, that it
cracked again.

The man looked pale: and, trembling with his fright, made a plaguy long
face; and called to one of his bodice-makers above, Joseph, come down
quickly.

Joseph came down: a lion's-face grinning fellow; thick, and short, and
bushy-headed, like an old oak-pollard. Then did master John put on a
sturdier look. But I only hummed a tune, traversed all the other
apartments, sounded the passages with my knuckles, to find whether there
were private doors, and walked up the next pair of stairs, singing all
the way; John and Joseph, and Mrs. Smith, following me up, trembling.

I looked round me there, and went into two open-door bed-chambers;
searched the closets, and the passages, and peeped through the key-hole
of another: no Miss Harlowe, by Jupiter! What shall I do!--what shall I
do! as the girls say.--Now will she be grieved that she is out of the
way.

I said this on purpose to find out whether these people knew the lady's
story; and had the answer I expected from Mrs. Smith--I believe not, Sir.

Why so, Mrs. Smith? Do you know who I am?

I can guess, Sir.

Whom do you guess me to be?

Your name is Mr. Lovelace, Sir, I make no doubt.

The very same. But how came you to guess so well, dame Smith! You never
saw me before, did you?

Here, Jack, I laid out for a compliment, and missed it.

'Tis easy to guess, Sir; for there cannot be