wouldn't mind, sir," said Sam--"our back room here's on'y a
kitchen; but we lets our parlour, as you see. There," he said, leading
the way, "that's my cheer, sir; and the wife 'll come and talk to you
dreckly, I dessay. I must go back on to the rank."

"One moment," said Richard.

"There, sir, I don't want paying for a bit of a job like this," said
Sam. "Oh, well, if you will pay, I shall put that down to the lodgers'
nex' ride."

"They are your lodgers, then?"

"Yes, sir; and it all come out of that old Ratty when I knocked Mrs
Lane over."

"But the young lady?"

"Thanky, sir, for calling her so; that's just what she is."

"Is she an invalid?"

"Feard so, sir," said Sam, in a hoarse whisper. "I don't like her looks
at all. But I can't stop, sir; the missus 'll be here, and I hope
she'll know of a place as suits."

The next moment, Sam Jenkles was gone, and Richard sat looking round at
the bright candlesticks and saucepan-lids, hardly able to realise the
fact that but a day or two before he was the master of Penreife, for
what had taken place seemed to be back years ago.

His musings were interrupted by the entry of Mrs Jenkles, who stood
curtseying and smoothing her apron.

"Is she better?" said Richard, anxiously.

"Yes, sir, she's quite well again now," said Mrs Jenkles. "She's weak,
sir--rather delicate health; and Sam--that is my husband--said you
wanted apartments, sir."

"And that you would be able to find me some," said Richard, smiling.

"I don't think we've anything good enough about here, sir, for a
gentleman like you."

"For a poor man like me, you mean. Now look here, Mrs--Mrs--"

"Jenkles, sir."

"Mrs Jenkles. I can afford to pay six or seven shillings a-week, that
is all."

"Then there's Mrs Fiddison, sir, nearly opposite. Very clean and
respectable. Bedroom and sitting-room, where a young gentleman left
only about a week ago. He played a long brass thing, sir, at one of the
theatres, and used to practise it at home; and that's why he left."

"That will do, I daresay," exclaimed Richard, who, in the first blush of
his determination, was stern as an ascetic, and would have said Yes to
the lodgings if Mrs Jenkles had proposed a couple of neatly furnished
cellars.

The result was that the cabman's wife went over with him to Mrs
Fiddison's, and introduced him to that lady, who was dressed in sombre
black, held a widow's cap in her hand, and was evidently determined to
k