pocketed the groat and resumed
her dusting; 'I don't know where they keep no such things as penses and
inkses.'

'Most likely in the drawing-room or the sitting-room, or perhaps in the
butler's pantry,' observed Mr. Sponge.

'Well, you can come in and see,' replied the woman, thinking there was no
occasion to give herself any more trouble for the fourpenny-piece.

Our worthy friend sat on his horse a few seconds staring intently into the
dining-room window, thinking that lapse of time might cause the
fourpenny-piece to be sufficiently respected to procure him something like
directions how to proceed as well to get rid of his horse, as to procure
access to the house, the door of which stood frowningly shut. In this,
however, he was mistaken, for no sooner had the woman uttered the words,
'Well, you can come in and see,' than she flaunted into the interior of the
room, and commenced a regular series of assaults upon the furniture,
throwing the hearth-rug over one chair back, depositing the fire-irons in
another, rearing the steel fender up against the Carrara marble
chimney-piece, and knocking things about in the independent way that
servants treat unoffending furniture, when master and mistress are
comfortably esconced in bed. 'Flop' went the duster again; 'bang' went the
furniture; 'knock' this chair went against that, and she seemed bent upon
putting all things into that happy state of sixes and sevens that
characterizes a sale of household furniture, when chairs mount tables, and
the whole system of domestic economy is revolutionized. Seeing that he was
not going to get anything more for his money, our friend at length turned
his horse and found his way to the stables by the unerring drag of
carriage-wheels. All things there being as matters were in the house, he
put the redoubtable nag into a stall, and helped him to a liberal measure
of oats out of the well-stored unlocked corn-bin. He then sought the back
of the house by the worn flagged-way that connected it with the stables.
The back yard was in the admired confusion that might be expected from the
woman's account. Empty casks and hampers were piled and stowed away in all
directions, while regiments of champagne and other bottles stood and lay
about among blacking bottles, Seltzer-water bottles, boot-trees,
bath-bricks, old brushes, and stumpt-up besoms. Several pair of dirty
top-boots, most of them with the spurs on, were chucked into the shoe-house
just as th