"I s'pose you know she's moved?" said Mr. Pett, with the air of a man anxious to change the conversation.
"Eh?" said the other.
"Number thirty-seven, John Street," said Mr. Pett. "Told my wife she's going to take in lodgers. Calling herself Mrs. Harris, after her maiden name."
He went off before Mr. Hatchard could recover, and the latter at once verified the information in part by walking round to his old house. Bits of straw and paper littered the front garden, the blinds were down, and a bill was pasted on the front parlor window. Aghast at such determination, he walked back to his lodgings in gloomy thought.
On Saturday afternoon he walked round to John Street, and from the corner of his eye, as he passed, stole a glance at No. 37. He recognized the curtains at once, and, seeing that there was nobody in the room, leaned over the palings and peered at a card that stood on the window-sash:
FURNISHED APARTMENTS FOR SINGLE YOUNG MAN BOARD IF DESIRED
He walked away whistling, and after going a little way turned and passed it again. He passed in all four times, and then, with an odd grin lurking at the corners of his mouth, strode up to the front door and knocked loudly. He heard somebody moving about inside, and, more with the idea of keeping his courage up than anything else, gave another heavy knock at the door. It was thrown open hastily, and the astonished face of his wife appeared before him.
"What do you want?" she inquired, sharply.
Mr. Hatchard raised his hat. "Good-afternoon, ma'am," he said, politely.
"What do you want?" repeated his wife.
"I called," said Mr. Hatchard, clearing his throat—"I called about the bill in the window."
Mrs. Hatchard clutched at the door-post.
"Well?" she gasped.
"I'd like to see the rooms," said the other.
"But you ain't a single young man," said his wife, recovering.
"I'm as good as single," said Mr. Hatchard. "I should say, better."
"You ain't young," objected Mrs. Hatchard. "I'm three years younger than what you are," said Mr. Hatchard, dispassionately.
His wife's lips tightened and her hand closed on the door; Mr. Hatchard put his foot in.
"If you don't want lodgers, why do you put a bill up?" he inquired.
"I don't take the first that comes," said his wife.
"I'll pay a week in advance," said Mr. Hatchard, putting his hand in his pocket. "Of course, if you're afraid of having me here—afraid o' giving way to tenderness, I mean–"
"Afraid?" choked Mrs. Hatchard. "Tenderness! I—I–"
"Just a matter o' business," continued her husband; "that's my way of looking at it—that's a man's way. I s'pose women are different. They can't–"
"Come in," said Mrs. Hatchard, breathing hard Mr. Hatchard obeyed, and clapping a hand over his mouth ascended the stairs behind her. At the top she threw open the door of a tiny bedroom, and stood aside for him to enter. Mr. Hatchard sniffed critically.
"Smells rather stuffy," he said, at last.
"You needn't have it," said his wife, abruptly. "There's plenty of other fish in the sea."
"Yes; and I expect they'd stay there if they saw this room," said the other.
"Don't think I want you to have it; because I don't," said Mrs. Hatchard, making a preliminary movement to showing him downstairs.
"They might suit me," said Mr. Hatchard, musingly, as he peeped in at the sitting-room door. "I shouldn't be at home much. I'm a man that's fond of spending his evenings out."
Mrs. Hatchard, checking a retort, eyed him grimly.
"I've seen worse," he said, slowly; "but then I've seen a good many. How much are you asking?"
"Seven shillings a week," replied his wife. "With breakfast, tea, and supper, a pound a week."
Mr. Hatchard nearly whistled, but checked himself just in time.
"I'll give it a trial," he said, with an air of unbearable patronage.
Mrs. Hatchard hesitated.
"If you come here, you quite understand it's on a business footing," she said.
"O' course," said the other, with affected surprise. "What do you think I want it on?"
"You come here as a stranger, and I look after you as a stranger," continued his wife.
"Certainly," said the other. "I shall be made more comfortable that way, I'm sure. But, of course, if you're afraid, as I said before, of giving way to tender–"