look into
the shop.

In the front windows, on one side, were all the varieties of tapers,
sealing-wax, inkstands, and every kind of stationery, backed by
children's books, leather writing-cases, prints, caricatures, and
Tonbridge ware. In the other windows were ribbons, caps, gloves,
scarfs, needles, and other little articles in demand by ladies, and
which they required independent of their milliners.

At the entrance were sticks and canes; on the counter a case of gold and
more moderate-priced trinkets. On the shelves of the millinery side
were boxes of gloves, ribbons, buttons, etcetera. On the opposite side,
perfumes, cigars, toothbrushes, combs, scented soaps, and other
requisites for the toilet.

About ten feet on each side of the shop was occupied with the above
articles; the remainder of the shelves were reserved for the
circulating-library.

At the back of the shop were some seats round a small table, on which
was laid the newspaper of the day, and on each side of the parlour-door
were hoops, bats, balls, traps, skittles, and a variety of toys for
children.

My mother usually attended to the millinery, and my aunt Milly to what
might be termed the gentlemen's side of the shop; the remainder of the
goods and circulating-library were in the hands of both.

There were few hours of the day in which the chairs at the counter and
round the table were not taken possession of by some one or another,
either reading the paper or a book, or talking, to pass away the time.
In fact, it was a sort of rendezvous, where all who met knew each other,
and where the idle of our own sex used to repair to get rid of their
time. Captain Bridgeman and Mr Flat were certainly the two most
constantly to be found there, although few of the marine officers were a
day without paying us a visit.

Such was the _locale_; to describe the company will be more difficult,
but I will attempt it.

My mother, remarkably nicely dressed, is busy opening a parcel of new
books just arrived. My aunt Milly behind the counter, on the
gentlemen's side, pretending to be working upon a piece of muslin about
five inches square. Mr Flat sitting near the table, fallen back in his
chair, apparently watching the flies on the ceiling. Captain Bridgeman,
a very good-looking man, very slight, but extremely active, is sitting
at the counter opposite to where my aunt is standing, a small black
cane, with a silver head to it, in his hand, and his gloves