stairs. She was on the point of yielding to the impulse of her own
good-natured, though coarse feelings; but at last--] "I--I--dare say,
Mr. Titmouse, you mean what's right and straightforward," she stammered.

"Yes, Mrs. Squallop--you may keep those two shillings; they're the last
farthing I have left in the whole world."

"No--hem!--hem!--ahem! I was just suddenly a-thinking--now can't you
guess, Mr. Titmouse?"

"What, Mrs. Squallop?" inquired Titmouse, meekly but anxiously.

"Why--suppose now--if it were only to raise ten shillings with old
Balls, round the corner, on one of those fine things of yours--your
ring, say!" [Titmouse's heart sank within him.] "Well, well--never
mind--don't fear," said Mrs. Squallop, observing him suddenly turn pale
again. "I--I only thought--but never mind! it don't signify--good-night!
we can talk about that to-morrow--good-night--a good night's rest to
you, Mr. Titmouse!" and the next moment he heard her heavy step
descending the stairs. Some little time elapsed before he could recover
from the agitation into which he had been thrown by her last proposal;
but within five minutes of her quitting the room, there stood before
him, on the table, an _empty_ plate and jug.

CHAPTER IV.

"The beast! the fat old toad!" thought he, the instant that he had
finished masticating what had been supplied to him by real charity and
good-nature--"the vulgar wretch!--the nasty canting old hypocrite!--I
saw what she was driving at all the while!--she had her eye on my
ring!--She'd have me pawn it at old Balls's--ha, ha!--Catch me! that's
all!--Seven shillings a-week for this nasty hole!--I'll be bound I pay
nearly half the rent of the whole house--the old cormorant!--out of what
she gets from me! How I hate her! More than half my salary goes into her
greasy pocket! Cuss me if I couldn't have kicked her
down-stairs--porter, bread and cheese, and all--while she was standing
canting there!--A snivelling old beldam!--Pawn my ring!!--Lord!!"--Here
he began to undress. "Ha! I'm up to her; she'll be coming here
to-morrow, with that devil Thumbscrew, to distrain, I'll be sworn.
Well--I'll take care of _these_ anyhow;" and, kneeling down and
unlocking his trunk, he took out of it his guard-chain, breast-pin,
studs, and ring, carefully folded them up in paper, and depositing them
in his trousers' pockets, resolved that henceforth their nightly
resting-place should be--under his pillow; while during th