. Bloss's first appearance in
Coram-street, John Evenson was observed to become, every day, more
sarcastic and more ill-natured; and there was a degree of additional
importance in his manner, which clearly showed that he fancied he had
discovered something, which he only wanted a proper opportunity of
divulging. He found it at last.

One evening, the different inmates of the house were assembled in the
drawing-room engaged in their ordinary occupations. Mr. Gobler and Mrs.
Bloss were sitting at a small card-table near the centre window, playing
cribbage; Mr. Wisbottle was describing semicircles on the music-stool,
turning over the leaves of a book on the piano, and humming most
melodiously; Alfred Tomkins was sitting at the round table, with his
elbows duly squared, making a pencil sketch of a head considerably larger
than his own; O'Bleary was reading Horace, and trying to look as if he
understood it; and John Evenson had drawn his chair close to Mrs. Tibbs's
work-table, and was talking to her very earnestly in a low tone.

'I can assure you, Mrs. Tibbs,' said the radical, laying his forefinger
on the muslin she was at work on; 'I can assure you, Mrs. Tibbs, that
nothing but the interest I take in your welfare would induce me to make
this communication. I repeat, I fear Wisbottle is endeavouring to gain
the affections of that young woman, Agnes, and that he is in the habit of
meeting her in the store-room on the first floor, over the leads. From
my bedroom I distinctly heard voices there, last night. I opened my door
immediately, and crept very softly on to the landing; there I saw Mr.
Tibbs, who, it seems, had been disturbed also.--Bless me, Mrs. Tibbs, you
change colour!'

'No, no--it's nothing,' returned Mrs. T. in a hurried manner; 'it's only
the heat of the room.'

'A flush!' ejaculated Mrs. Bloss from the card-table; 'that's good for
four.'

'If I thought it was Mr. Wisbottle,' said Mrs. Tibbs, after a pause, 'he
should leave this house instantly.'

'Go!' said Mrs. Bloss again.

'And if I thought,' continued the hostess with a most threatening air,
'if I thought he was assisted by Mr. Tibbs--'

'One for his nob!' said Gobler.

'Oh,' said Evenson, in a most soothing tone--he liked to make
mischief--'I should hope Mr. Tibbs was not in any way implicated. He
always appeared to me very harmless.'

'I have generally found him so,' sobbed poor little Mrs. Tibbs; crying
like a watering-pot.

'Hush!