chamber above."

"What will be your charge?"

"Fourteen dollars."

"That will do, Peter," said Mrs. Scragg. "Two dollars a week is
considerable abatement."

"It's something, of course. But I don't like this off and on kind of
business. When I make an agreement, I'm up to the mark, and expect the same
from everybody else. Will you let my wife see the rooms, madam?"

"Certainly," replied Mrs. Darlington, and moved towards the door. Mrs.
Scragg followed, and so did all the juvenile Scraggs--the latter springing
up the stairs with the agility of apes and the noise of a dozen rude
schoolboys just freed from the terror of rod and ferule.

The rooms suited Mrs. Scragg very well--at least such was her report to her
husband--and, after some further rudeness on the part of Mr. Scragg, and an
effort to beat Mrs. Darlington down to twelve dollars a-week, were taken,
and forthwith occupied.

* * * *

CHAPTER IV.

Mrs. Darlington was a woman of refinement herself, and had been used to the
society of refined persons. She was, naturally enough, shocked at the
coarseness and brutality of Mr. Scragg, and, ere an hour went by, in