with you?" demanded the Amazon, boldly.

"The gentleman is a stranger to me, Poll," replied the woollen-draper,
with increased embarrassment. "I don't know his name." And he looked at
the moment as if he had lost all desire to know it.

"Well, he's a pretty fellow at all events," observed Mrs. Maggot, eyeing
him from head to heel with evident satisfaction;--"a devilish pretty
fellow!"

"Upon my word, Poll," said Kneebone, becoming very red, "you might have
a little more delicacy than to tell him so before my face."

"What!" exclaimed Mrs. Maggot, drawing up her fine figure to its full
height; "because I condescend to live with you, am I never to look at
another man,--especially at one so much to my taste as this? Don't think
it!"

"You had better retire, Madam," said the woollen-draper, sharply, "if
you can't conduct yourself with more propriety."

"Order those who choose to obey you," rejoined the lady scornfully.
"Though you lorded it over that fond fool, Mrs. Wood, you shan't lord it
over me, I can promise you. That for you!" And she snapped her fingers
in his face.

"Zounds!" cried Kneebone, furiously. "Go to your own room, woman,
directly, or I'll make you!"

"Make me!" echoed Mrs. Maggot, bursting into a loud contemptuous laugh.
"Try!"

Enraged at the assurance of his mistress, the woollen-draper
endeavoured to carry his threat into execution, but all his efforts to
remove her were unavailing. At length, after he had given up the point
from sheer exhaustion, the Amazon seized him by the throat, and pushed
him backwards with such force that he rolled over the counter.

"There!" she cried, laughing, "that'll teach you to lay hands upon me
again. You should remember, before you try your strength against mine,
that when I rescued you from the watch, and you induced me to come and
live with you, I beat off four men, any of whom was a match for you--ha!
ha!"

"My dear Poll!" said Kneebone, picking himself up, "I entreat you to
moderate yourself."

"Entreat a fiddlestick!" retorted Mrs. Maggot: "I'm tired of you, and
will go back to my old lover, Jack Sheppard. He's worth a dozen of you.
Or, if this good-looking young fellow will only say the word, I'll go
with him."

"You may go, and welcome, Madam!" rejoined Kneebone, spitefully. "But, I
should think, after the specimen you've just given of your amiable
disposition, no person would be likely to saddle himself with such an
incumbrance."

"What say yo