y. It was, however, evident, that it was a pot-house, and
nothing more; and Mr Vanslyperken thought that lodgings must be very
scarce in Portsmouth. He entered the first and inner door, and the
little girl said she would go upstairs and let her mistress know that he
was come. She ran up, leaving Mr Vanslyperken alone in the dark passage.
He waited for some time, when his naturally suspicious temper made him
think he had been deceived, and he determined to wait outside of the
house, which appeared very disreputable. He therefore retreated to the
inner door to open it, but found it fast. He tried it again and again,
but in vain, and he became alarmed and indignant. Perceiving a light
through another keyhole, he tried the door, and it was open; a screen
was close to the door as he entered, and he could not see its occupants.
Mr Vanslyperken walked round, and as he did so, he heard the door closed
and locked. He looked on the other side of the screen, and, to his
horror, found himself in company with Moggy Salisbury, and about twenty
other females. Vanslyperken made a precipitate retreat to the door, but
he was met by three or four women, who held him fast by the arms.
Vanslyperken would have disgraced himself by drawing his cutlass; but
they were prepared for this, and while two of them pinioned his arms,
one of them drew his cutlass from its sheath, and walked away with it.
Two of the women contrived to hold his arms, while another pushed him in
the rear, until he was brought from behind the screen into the middle of
the room, facing his incarnate enemy, Moggy Salisbury.

"Good evening to you, Mr Vanslyperken," cried Moggy, not rising from
her chair. "It's very kind of you to come and see me in this friendly
way--come, take a chair, and give us all the news."

"Mistress Salisbury, you had better mind what you are about with a
king's officer," cried Vanslyperken, turning more pale at this mockery,
than if he had met with abuse. "There are constables, and stocks, and
gaols, and whipping-posts on shore, as well as the cat on board."

"I know all that, Mr Vanslyperken," replied Moggy, calmly; "but that has
nothing to do with the present affair: you have come of your own accord
to this house to see somebody, that is plain, and you have found me. So
now do as you're bid, like a polite man; sit down, and treat the ladies.
Ladies, Mr Vanslyperken stands treat, and please the pigs, we'll make a
night of it. What shall it be? I me