Darlington--"will you be kind enough to inform the lady and gentleman who
now occupy one of our rooms"--

"Mr. Scragg!" said Mrs. Darlington, in whose fainting heart his outrageous
conduct had awakened something of the right spirit--"Mr. Scragg, I wish you
to understand, once for all, that the front room is taken and now occupied,
and that you cannot have it."

"Madam!"

"It's no use for you to waste words, sir! What I say I mean. I have other
rooms in the house very nearly as good, and am willing to take you for
something less in consideration of this disappointment. If that will meet
your views, well; if not, let us have no more words on the subject."

There was a certain something in Mrs. Darlington's tone of voice that
Scragg understood to mean a fixed purpose. Moreover, his mind caught at the
idea of getting boarded for something less than sixteen dollars a-week.

"Where are the rooms?" he asked, gruffly.

"The third story chambers."

"Front?"

"Yes."

"I don't want to go to the third story."

"Very well. Then you can have the back chamber down stairs, and the front