"Won't Mr. Colman wait?"

"I'm afraid not. You know what sort of a man he is, Mary. There ain't
much feeling about him. He cares more for money than anything else."

"Perhaps you are doing him injustice."

"I am afraid not. Did you never hear how he treated the Underhills?"

"How was it?"

"Underhill was laid up with a rheumatic fever for three months. The
consequence was, that, when quarter-day came round, he was in about the
same situation with ourselves,--a little worse even, for his wife was
sick, also. But though Colman was aware of the circumstances, he had no
pity; but turned them out without ceremony."

"Is it possible?" asked Mrs. Crump, uneasily.

"And there's no reason for his being more lenient with us. I can't but
feel anxious about to-morrow, Mary."

At this moment, verifying an old adage which will perhaps occur to the
reader, who should knock but Mr. Colman himself?

Both the cooper and his wife had an instinctive foreboding as to the
meaning of his visit.

He came in, rubbing his hands in a social way, as was his custom. No
one, to look at him, would have suspected the hardness of heart that lay
veiled under his velvety softness of manner.

"Good evening, Mr. Crump," said he, affably, "I trust you and your
worthy wife are in good health."

"That blessing, at least, is continued to us," said the cooper, gravely.

"And how comfortable you're looking too, eh! It makes an old bachelor,
like me, feel lonesome when he contrasts his own solitary room with
such a scene of comfort as this. You've got a comfortable home, and
dog-cheap, too. All my other tenants are grumbling to think you don't
have to pay any more for such superior accommodations. I've about
made up my mind that I must ask you twenty-five dollars a quarter,
hereafter."

All this was said very pleasantly, but the pill was none the less
bitter.

"It seems to me, Mr. Colman," remarked the cooper soberly, "you have
chosen rather a singular time for raising the rent."

"Why singular, my good sir?" inquired the landlord, urbanely.

"You know of course, that this is a time of general business depression;
my own trade in particular has suffered greatly. For a month past, I
have not been able to find any work."

Colman's face lost something of its graciousness.

"And I fear I sha'n't be able to pay my quarter's rent to-morrow."

"Indeed!" said the landlord coldly. "Perhaps you can make it up within
two or three dollars?"

"I can