one day, the excavators were
astonished to find the earth giving way under them, and to see men
actually under the tunnel they were then forming. On encountering Mr.
Williamson, he told them "he could show them how to tunnel if they wanted
to learn a lesson in that branch of art." It seemed a strange anomaly,
and quite unaccountable that Mr. Williamson should be so chary in
allowing any strangers to visit his excavations. He seemed to keep them
for his own gratification, and it was with the greatest difficulty
permission could be obtained to go through them. He would say to the
numberless persons who applied, "they were not show-shops, nor he a
showman." When he did grant permission he always gave the obliged
parties fully and unmistakably to understand that he was conferring upon
them a great favour. His temper was suspicious. I recollect being told
of a person calling on him, to pay a long over-due rent account for
another person, when, as Williamson was handing over the receipt, and
about to take up the money, he suddenly fixed his keen eye upon his
visitor, and asked him what trick he was going to play him, as it seemed
strange that he should pay money for another man. "Take your money away,
sir," said he, "and come again to-morrow; there is something underhand in
your proceedings, and I'll not be done." For some of his tenants he used
to execute cheerfully the most costly alterations, while for others he
would not expend a shilling, and would let his premises go to rack,
rather than put in a nail for them.

There was a house of his once standing at the corner of Bolton-street,
which he built entirely for a whim. It was a great square house, with
enormously wide and long windows. It was of three stories, two upper
tiers and a basement. There was no kitchen to it, no conveniences of any
kind sufficient to render it habitable. From the cellar there was a
tunnel which ran under Mason-street to the vaults opposite. He built it
intending it for his friend, Mr. C. H---, the artist, who had one day
complained of the bad light he had to paint in, and Mr. Williamson told
him he would remedy that evil if he would wait a bit. Presently he
commenced the house in Bolton-street, and when it was completed the
artist was sent for, and told that it had been built for him as a studio.
Mr. H--- stood aghast on seeing the immense windows, and could not make
Mr. Williamson understand that an artist's light was not wanted i