er lady had never been accustomed to any such
attendant at robing times, her stepmother forced her into a semblance of
familiarity with one when they were away from home.

Presently waggons, bales, and smells of all descriptions increased to
such an extent that the advance of the cabs was at the slowest possible
rate. At intervals it was necessary to halt entirely, that the heavy
vehicles unloading in front might be moved aside, a feat which was not
accomplished without a deal of swearing and noise. The vicar put his
head out of the window.

'Surely there must be some mistake in the way,' he said with great
concern, drawing in his head again. 'There's not a respectable
conveyance to be seen here except ours. I've heard that there are
strange dens in this part of London, into which people have been
entrapped and murdered--surely there is no conspiracy on the part of the
cabman?'

'Oh no, no. It is all right,' said Mr. Knight, who was as placid as dewy
eve by the side of Elfride.

'But what I argue from,' said the vicar, with a greater emphasis of
uneasiness, 'are plain appearances. This can't be the highway from
London to Plymouth by water, because it is no way at all to any place.
We shall miss our steamer and our train too--that's what I think.'

'Depend upon it we are right. In fact, here we are.'

'Trimmer's Wharf,' said the cabman, opening the door.

No sooner had they alighted than they perceived a tussle going on
between the hindmost cabman and a crowd of light porters who had
charged him in column, to obtain possession of the bags and boxes, Mrs.
Snewson's hands being seen stretched towards heaven in the midst of the
melee. Knight advanced gallantly, and after a hard struggle reduced the
crowd to two, upon whose shoulders and trucks the goods vanished away in
the direction of the water's edge with startling rapidity.

Then more of the same tribe, who had run on ahead, were heard shouting
to boatmen, three of whom pulled alongside, and two being vanquished,
the luggage went tumbling into the remaining one.

'Never saw such a dreadful scene in my life--never!' said Mr. Swancourt,
floundering into the boat. 'Worse than Famine and Sword upon one. I
thought such customs were confined to continental ports. Aren't you
astonished, Elfride?'

'Oh no,' said Elfride, appearing amid the dingy scene like a rainbow in
a murky sky. 'It is a pleasant novelty, I think.'

'Where in the wide ocean is our steamer?' the