and degradation of these.

"My fears have outrun the actual progress of things," said I to
myself, with a sense of relief, as I mused alone in the still
neatly arranged sitting-room, after the landlord, who sat and
chatted for a few minutes, had left me. "There is, I am willing to
believe, a basis of good in this man's character, which has led
him to remove, as far as possible, the more palpable evils that
ever attach themselves to a house of public entertainment. He had
but entered on the business last year. There was much to be
learned, pondered, and corrected. Experience, I doubt not, has led
to many important changes in the manner of conducting the
establishment, and especially in what pertains to the bar."

As I thought thus, my eyes glanced through the half-open door, and
rested on the face of Simon Slade. He was standing behind his bar
--evidently alone in the room--with his head bent in a musing
attitude. At first I was in some doubt as to the identity of the
singularly changed countenance. Two deep perpendicular seams lay
sharply defined on his forehead--the arch of his eyebrows was
gone, and from each corner of his compressed lips, lines were seen
reaching half-way to the chin. Blending with a slightly troubled
expression, was a strongly marked selfishness, evidently brooding
over the consummation of its purpose. For some moments I sat
gazing on his face, half doubting at times if it were really that
of Simon Slade. Suddenly a gleam flashed over it--an ejaculation
was uttered, and one clenched hand brought down, with a sharp
stroke, into the open palm of the other. The landlord's mind had
reached a conclusion, and was resolved upon action. There were no
warm rays in the gleam of light that irradiated his countenance--