result.

'What do they mean by this?' inquired Mr. Joseph Tuggs, thoroughly out of
temper.

'Don't know,' said the placid Mrs. Tuggs.

'Orvis the vay here, sir,' said the driver, by way of accounting for the
circumstance in a satisfactory manner; and off they went again, to make
fresh inquiries, and encounter fresh disappointments.

It had grown dusk when the 'fly'--the rate of whose progress greatly
belied its name--after climbing up four or five perpendicular hills,
stopped before the door of a dusty house, with a bay window, from which
you could obtain a beautiful glimpse of the sea--if you thrust half of
your body out of it, at the imminent peril of falling into the area.
Mrs. Tuggs alighted. One ground-floor sitting-room, and three cells with
beds in them up-stairs. A double-house. Family on the opposite side.
Five children milk-and-watering in the parlour, and one little boy,
expelled for bad behaviour, screaming on his back in the passage.

'What's the terms?' said Mrs. Tuggs. The mistress of the house was
considering the expediency of putting on an extra guinea; so, she coughed
slightly, and affected not to hear the question.

'What's the terms?' said Mrs. Tuggs, in a louder key.

'Five guineas a week, ma'am, _with_ attendance,' replied the
lodging-house keeper. (Attendance means the privilege of ringing the
bell as often as you like, for your own amusement.)

'Rather dear,' said Mrs. Tuggs. 'Oh dear, no, ma'am!' replied the
mistress of the house, with a benign smile of pity at the ignorance of
manners and customs, which the observation betrayed. 'Very cheap!'

Such an authority was indisputable. Mrs. Tuggs paid a week's rent in
advance, and took the lodgings for a month. In an hour's time, the
family were seated at tea in their new abode.

'Capital srimps!' said Mr. Joseph Tuggs.

Mr. Cymon eyed his father with a rebellious scowl, as he emphatically
said '_Shrimps_.'

'Well, then, shrimps,' said Mr. Joseph Tuggs. 'Srimps or shrimps, don't
much matter.'

There was pity, blended with malignity, in Mr. Cymon's eye, as he
replied, 'Don't matter, father! What would Captain Waters say, if he
heard such vulgarity?'

'Or what would dear Mrs. Captain Waters say,' added Charlotta, 'if she
saw mother--ma, I mean--eating them whole, heads and all!'

'It won't bear thinking of!' ejaculated Mr. Cymon, with a shudder. 'How
different,' he thought, 'from the Dowager Duchess of Dobbleton!'

'Very