ce, Mr. George made his
selection, and knocked at the door with a long double rap, such as is
usually given by gentlemen.

Very soon a pleasant-looking servant girl opened the door. Mr. George
told her that they had come to look at the rooms; whereupon the girl
invited them to walk in, and led the way up stairs.

This conversation took place while they were going up stairs; and just
as they reached the head of the stairs, Mr. George asked the girl what
her name was. She said it was Margaret.

Mr. George said he wished to have a sitting room and bed room. He did
not care, he said, if there were two bed rooms, if they were small. The
girl said there was a sitting room and two bed rooms on the first floor,
all connected together.

Margaret then led the way into the sitting room. It looked very snug and
comfortable; though, compared with the bright and cheerful appearance of
New York rooms, it had rather a dark and dingy appearance. The paper was
dark, the paint was dark, and the furniture darker still. There was a
sofa on one side of the room, and two or three comfortable arm chairs.
There was a round table in the middle of the floor, and several other
smaller tables in different places about the room. There was a
sideboard, also, with a clock and various ornaments upon it. There was a
mirror over the mantle shelf, and another between the windows; and
various engravings, in frames that had evidently once been gilt, were
hanging about the walls.

"Well," said Mr. George, as he looked about the room, "I don't know but
that this will do for us, Rollo. What do you think?"

"I like it pretty well," said Rollo.

"Now let us see the bed rooms, Margaret," said Mr. George.

So Margaret led the way across the little entry to one of the bed rooms.
The room had the same dingy appearance that had been observed in the
sitting room, but it was abundantly furnished with every thing necessary
for such an apartment. Margaret led the way through this bed room to a
smaller one, which was so situated that it communicated both with the
large bed room and the sitting room.

"Ah," said Mr. George, "this is just the place for you, Rollo."

"Yes," said Rollo; "I shall like it very much."

"What is the price of these three rooms?" said Mr. George, turning to
Margaret.

"Twenty-seven shillings a week, sir, if you please," said Margaret.

"Twenty-seven shillings a week," said Mr. George, repeating the words to
himself in a musing manne