in
bed at half-past eight, and another at ten, every morning.'

Mrs. Tibbs, as in duty bound, expressed the pity she felt for anybody
placed in such a distressing situation; and the carnivorous Mrs. Bloss
proceeded to arrange the various preliminaries with wonderful despatch.
'Now mind,' said that lady, after terms were arranged; 'I am to have the
second-floor front, for my bed-room?'

'Yes, ma'am.'

'And you'll find room for my little servant Agnes?'

'Oh! certainly.'

'And I can have one of the cellars in the area for my bottled porter.'

'With the greatest pleasure;--James shall get it ready for you by
Saturday.'

'And I'll join the company at the breakfast-table on Sunday morning,'
said Mrs. Bloss. 'I shall get up on purpose.'

'Very well,' returned Mrs. Tibbs, in her most amiable tone; for
satisfactory references had 'been given and required,' and it was quite
certain that the new-comer had plenty of money. 'It's rather singular,'
continued Mrs. Tibbs, with what was meant for a most bewitching smile,
'that we have a gentleman now with us, who is in a very delicate state of
health--a Mr. Gobler.--His apartment is the back drawing-room.'

'The next room?' inquired Mrs. Bloss.

'The next room,' repeated the hostess.

'How very promiscuous!' ejaculated the widow.

'He hardly ever gets up,' said Mrs. Tibbs in a whisper.

'Lor!' cried Mrs. Bloss, in an equally low tone.

'And when he is up,' said Mrs. Tibbs, 'we never can persuade him to go to
bed again.'

'Dear me!' said the astonished Mrs. Bloss, drawing her chair nearer Mrs.
Tibbs. 'What is his complaint?'

'Why, the fact is,' replied Mrs. Tibbs, with a most communicative air,
'he has no stomach whatever.'

'No what?' inquired Mrs. Bloss, with a look of the most indescribable
alarm.

'No stomach,' repeated Mrs. Tibbs, with a shake of the head.

'Lord bless us! what an extraordinary case!' gasped Mrs. Bloss, as if she
understood the communication in its literal sense, and was astonished at
a gentleman without a stomach finding it necessary to board anywhere.

'When I say he has no stomach,' explained the chatty little Mrs. Tibbs,
'I mean that his digestion is so much impaired, and his interior so
deranged, that his stomach is not of the least use to him;--in fact, it's
an inconvenience.'

'Never heard such a case in my life!' exclaimed Mrs. Bloss. 'Why, he's
worse than I am.'

'Oh, yes!' replied Mrs. Tibbs;--'certainly.' She said this