t windows are barred, and on the dingy pillar of the
door was a shining brass-plate, setting forth that "Aminadab, Officer to
the Sheriff of Middlesex," lived therein. A little red-haired Israelite
opened the first door as our coach drove up, and received me and my
baggage.

As soon as we entered the door, he barred it, and I found myself in the
face of another huge door, which was strongly locked; and, at last,
passing through that, we entered the lobby of the house.

There is no need to describe it. It is very like ten thousand other
houses in our dark City of London. There was a dirty passage and a dirty
stair, and from the passage two dirty doors let into two filthy rooms,
which had strong bars at the windows, and yet withal an air of horrible
finery that makes me uncomfortable to think of even yet. On the walls
hung all sorts of trumpery pictures in tawdry frames (how different from
those capital performances of my cousin Michael Angelo!); on the
mantelpiece huge French clocks, vases, and candlesticks; on the
sideboards, enormous trays of Birmingham plated ware: for Mr. Aminadab
not only arrested those who could not pay money, but lent it to those who
could; and had already, in the way of trade, sold and bought these
articles many times over.

I agreed to take the back-parlour for the night, and while a Hebrew
damsel was arranging a little dusky sofa-bedstead (woe betide him who has
to sleep on it!) I was invited into the front parlour, where Mr.
Aminadab, bidding me take heart, told me I should have a dinner for
nothing with a party who had just arrived. I did not want for dinner,
but I was glad not to be alone--not alone, even till Gus came; for whom I
despatched a messenger to his lodgings hard by.

I found there, in the front parlour, at eight o'clock in the evening,
four gentlemen, just about to sit down to dinner. Surprising! there was
Mr. B., a gentleman of fashion, who had only within half-an-hour arrived
in a post-chaise with his companion, Mr. Lock, an officer of Horsham
gaol. Mr. B. was arrested in this wise:--He was a careless good-humoured
gentleman, and had indorsed bills to a large amount for a friend; who, a
man of high family and unquestionable honour, had pledged the latter,
along with a number of the most solemn oaths, for the payment of the
bills in question. Having indorsed the notes, young Mr. B., with a
proper thoughtlessness, forgot all about them, and so, by some chance,
did the