rather obtuse
and grasping old lady who owned it. A sitting-bed-room was to be had for
thirteen shillings a week. As I had never hired rooms before, I had no
idea whether this was cheap or dear; but I conclude it was the latter,
since on my raising my eyebrows as an experiment she instantly came down
to ten shillings and sixpence. I tried another look and an exclamation
of astonishment; but as she stood firm, I gathered that I had touched
the bottom.

"Your rooms are quite clean?" I asked, for there was a wooden panelling
which suggested possibilities.

"Quite clean, Sir."

"No vermin?"

"The officers of the garrison come sometimes."

This took some thinking out. It had an ugly sound, but I gathered that
she meant that there could be no question about the cleanliness since
these gentlemen were satisfied. So the bargain was struck, and I ordered
tea to be ready in an hour, while I went back to the station to fetch up
my luggage. A porter brought it up for eightpence (saving fourpence on
a cab, my boy!) and so I found myself in the heart of Birchespool with
a base of operations secured. I looked out of the little window of my
lodgings at the reeking pots and grey sloping roofs, with a spire or
two spurting up among them, and I shook my teaspoon defiantly at them.
"You've got to conquer me," said I, "or else I'm man enough to conquer
you."

Now, you would hardly expect that a fellow would have an adventure on
his very first night in a strange town; but I had--a trivial one, it is
true, but fairly exciting while it lasted. Certainly it reads more like
what might happen to a man in a book, but you may take it from me that
it worked out just as I set it down here.

When I had finished my tea, I wrote a few letters--one to Cullingworth,
and one to Horton. Then, as it was a lovely evening, I determined to
stroll out and see what sort of a place it was upon which Fate had
washed me up. "Best begin as you mean to go on," thought I; so I donned
my frock-coat, put on my carefully-brushed top-hat, and sallied forth
with my very respectable metal-headed walking stick in my hand.

I walked down to the Park, which is the chief centre of the place, and I
found that I liked everything I saw of it. It was a lovely evening, and
the air was fresh and sweet. I sat down and listened to the band for an
hour, watching all the family parties, and feeling particularly lonely.
Music nearly always puts me into the minor key; so there came