from all the attic residents; one's bed was wetted quite through with
the water dropping through the ceiling--another had been obliged to put
a basin on the floor to catch the leak--all declared that the roof was
like a sieve. Sent again for Mr Smithers, and made a complaint.

"This time, Mr Smithers," said I, with the lease in my hand, "I believe
you will acknowledge these are landlord's repairs."

"Certainly, sir, certainly," exclaimed Mr Smithers; "I shall desire one
of my men to look to it immediately; but the fact is, with such heavy
gales, the slates must be expected to move a little. Duchesses and
countesses are very light, and the wind gets underneath them."

"Duchesses and countesses very light!" exclaimed my wife; "what do you
mean?"

"It's the term we give to slates, madam," replied he; "we cannot put on
a heavy roof with a brick-and-a-half wall. It would not support one."

"_Brick-and-a-half_ wall!" exclaimed I;--"surely, Mr Smithers, that's
not quite safe with a house so high."

"Not quite safe, my dear sir, if it were a single house; but," added he,
"in a row, one house supports another."

"Thank Heaven," thought I, "I have but a three-years' lease, and six
months are gone already."

But the annoyances up to this period were internal; we now had to
experience the external nuisances attending a modern-built house.

"Number 1 is taken, papa, and they are getting the furniture in," said
my eldest daughter one day; "I hope we shall have nice neighbours. And
William told Mary that Mr Smithers told him, when he met him in the
street, that he was now going to fit up Number 3 as fast as he could."

The report was true, as we found from the report of the carpenters'
hammers for the next three or four weeks. We could not obtain a
moment's sleep except in the early part of the night, or a minute's
repose to our ears during the day. The sound appeared as if it was _in_
our house instead of next door; and it commenced at six o'clock in the
morning, and lasted till seven in the evening. I was hammered to death;
and, unfortunately, there was a constant succession of rain, which
prevented me going out to avoid it. I had nothing to do but to watch my
pictures, as they jumped from the wall with the thumps of the hammers.
At last Number 3 was floored, wainscotted, and glazed, and we had a
week's repose.

By this time Number 1 was furnished, and the parties who had taken it
came in. They were a gouty ol