inner.

On the north side of St. James' Square I was so happy as to spy a bill
in a third-floor window. I was equally indifferent to cost and
convenience in my choice of a lodging--"any port in a storm" was the
principle on which I was prepared to act; and Rowley and I made at once
for the common entrance and scaled the stair.

We were admitted by a very sour-looking female in bombazine. I gathered
she had all her life been depressed by a series of bereavements, the
last of which might very well have befallen her the day before; and I
instinctively lowered my voice when I addressed her. She admitted she
had rooms to let--even showed them to us--a sitting-room and bedroom in
a _suite_, commanding a fine prospect to the Firth and Fifeshire, and in
themselves well proportioned and comfortably furnished, with pictures on
the wall, shells on the mantelpiece, and several books upon the table,
which I found afterwards to be all of a devotional character, and all
presentation copies, "to my Christian friend," or "to my devout
acquaintance in the Lord, Bethiah McRankine." Beyond this my "Christian
friend" could not be made to advance: no, not even to do that which
seemed the most natural and pleasing thing in the world--I mean to name
her price--but stood before us shaking her head, and at times mourning
like the dove, the picture of depression and defence. She had a voice
the most querulous I have ever heard, and with this she produced a whole
regiment of difficulties and criticisms.

She could not promise an attendance.

"Well, madam," said I, "and what is my servant for?"

"Him?" she asked. "Be gude to us! is _he_ your servant?"

"I am sorry, ma'am, he meets with your disapproval."

"Na, I never said that. But he's young. He'll be a great breaker, I'm
thinkin'. Ay! he'll be a great responsibeelity to ye, like. Does he
attend to his releegion?"

"Yes, m'm," returned Rowley, with admirable promptitude, and,
immediately closing his eyes, as if from habit, repeated the following
distich with more celerity than fervour:

"Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
Bless the bed that I lie on!"

"Nhm!" said the lady, and maintained an awful silence.

"Well, ma'am," said I, "it seems we are never to hear the beginning of
your terms, let alone the end of them. Come--a good movement! and let us
be either off or on."

She opened her lips slowly. "Ony raferences?" she inquired, in a voice
like a bell.

I opened my pocket-book