headley's, sir," said Mrs Fiddison; "and,
as I was a-saying, you'll find the rooms very quiet, for Waggly's have
given the kettledrum notice. Mrs Waggly said she was sure it was that
made her have the bile so bad; and I shouldn't wonder if it was."

"And the terms," said Richard.

"You are sure you don't play anything brass, sir?" said Mrs Fiddison,
looking at him with her head all on one side, as if to say, "Now, don't
deceive a weak woman!"

"Indeed, I am not musical at all," said Richard, smiling.

"Because it isn't pleasant, sir, for a landlady who wishes to make
things comfortable," continued Mrs Fiddison, smiling at the cap--which
she had now put on her left fist--as if it were a face.

"It can't be, of course." said Richard, getting impatient.

"Mr Took, my last lodger, sir, played the rumboon; and sometimes of a
morning, when he was doing his octaves, it used to quite make my brain
buzz."

"I think the rooms would suit me," said Richard, glancing round.

"Thank you, sir," said Mrs Fiddison, wiping one eye with a scrap of
crape. "You can see the marks all over the wall now."

"Marks--wall?" said Richard.

"Ah, you don't understand the rumboon, sir," said Mrs Fiddison,
pointing with a pair of scissors to various little dents and scratches
on the wall, as she still held up the widow's cap. "Those places are
what he used to make when he shot the thing out to get his low notes--
doing his octaves, sir."

"Indeed," said Richard, recalling the action of the trombone player in
the marine band on board his last ship.

"Perhaps you'd like to see the bedroom, sir?"

"Would you mind seeing that for me, Mrs Jenkles?" said Richard.

"It's plain, sir, but everything at Mrs Fiddison's here is as clean as
hands can make it," said Mrs Jenkles, glancing from one to the other.

"Then it will do," said Richard. "And the terms?"

"Seven shillings my last lodger paid me, sir," said Mrs Fiddison,
drooping more and more, and evidently now much impressed by one of
Richard's boots. "I did hope to get seven and six for them now, as
there's a new table-cover."

Richard glanced at the new cotton check on the table.

"Then I'll pay you seven and sixpence," he said.

"The last being full of holes he made when smoking," said Mrs Fiddison.

"Then that's settled," said Richard. "Mrs--Mrs--"

"Jenkles, sir," said the cabman's wife, smiling.

"Mrs Jenkles, I'm much obliged to you for your trouble," he said.

"And s