ility, but it still had that look of better
days departed, which, in the human kind, is peculiar to decayed
ministers of the gospel. It is a house where a man on a small
salary would apply for cheap board. Hither the inquirer repaired,
and shamefacedly knocked at the door, and was admitted by a
frowzy, coarse, plump, semi-respectable girl, who would have been
the better for a washing. She opened the door and the customer
entered the reception-room, and had ample time before the
appearance of the mistress to take an observation.

The parlor was neatly, though rather scantily furnished, with a
rigid economy in the article of chairs. The apartment communicated
by folding-doors with another room, whence could be heard an iron
noise as of some one scraping a saucepan with a kitchen-spoon.
The frowzy girl disappeared into this retired spot, and in about
the space of time that would be occupied by an enterprising woman
in rolling down her sleeves, taking off her apron, and washing
her hands, the door opened, and Mrs. Seymour presented herself.

She was a frigid-looking woman, of about 35 years of age, with
dark hair and eyes, projecting lips and heavy chin, and was of
medium height and size. Her appearance was perhaps lady-like, her
movements slow and well considered. She was perfectly self-possessed
and calculating, and appeared to cherish no dissatisfaction with
herself. Her demeanor, on the whole, was repelling and chilly,
and impressed her visitor very much as if some one had slipped a
lump of ice down his back and made him sit on it till it melted.

She regarded him with a look of professional suspicion, cast her
eye round the room with a quick glance, which instantly
inventoried everything therein contained, as though to assure
herself of the safety of any small articles which might be
scattered about, and then seated herself with an air of
preparedness, as if she was perfectly on guard and not to be
taken by surprise by anything that might occur. She volunteered a
frozen remark or two about the state of the weather, and then
subsided into silence, evidently waiting to hear the object of
the visit.

Her appearance and demeanor had instantly frozen out of the
voyager's mind all thoughts of marriage; he would as soon have
wedded an iceberg, or have taken to his heart of hearts a
thermometer with its mercury frozen solid. All he could do was to
buy a dollar's worth of her clairvoyance and then get out.

As soon ther