chief, and a broad round face, and a large head, and part of a green coat, were in the room too.
"Don't alarm yourself, Miss," said the proprietor of these appearances. "I say; this here's the mantie-making con-sarn, a'nt it?"
"Yes," rejoined Kate, greatly astonished. "What did you want?"
The stranger answered not; but first looking back, as though to beckon to some unseen person outside, came very deliberately into the room and was closely followed by a little man in brown, very much the worse for wear, who brought with him a mingled fumigation of stale tobacco and fresh onions. The clothes of this gentleman were much bespeckled with flue; and his shoes, stockings, and nether garments, from his heels to the waist buttons of his coat inclusive, were profusely embroidered with splashes of mud, caught a fortnight previous—before the setting-in of the fine weather.
Kate's very natural impression was, that these engaging individuals had called with the view of possessing themselves unlawfully of any portable articles that chanced to strike their fancy. She did not attempt to disguise her apprehensions, and made a move towards the door.
"Wait a minnit," said the man in the green coat, closing it softly, and standing with his back against it. "This is a unpleasant bisness. Vere's your govvernor?"
"My what—did you say?" asked Kate, trembling; for she thought ’governor' might be slang for watch or money.
"Mister Muntlehiney," said the man. "Wot's come of him? Is he at home?"
"He is above stairs, I believe," replied Kate, a little reassured by this inquiry. "Do you want him?"
"No," replied the visitor. "I don't ezactly want him, if it's made a favour on. You can jist give him that 'ere card, and tell him if he wants to speak to me, and save trouble, here I am, that's all."
With these words the stranger put a thick square card into Kate's hand, and turning to his friend remarked, with an easy air, "that the rooms was a good high pitch;" to which the friend assented, adding, by way of illustration, "that there was lots of room for a little boy to grow up a man in either on 'em, vithout much fear of his ever bringing his head into contract vith the ceiling."
After ringing the bell which would summon Madame Mantalini, Kate glanced at the card, and saw that it displayed the name of "Scaley," together with some other information to which she had not had time to refer, when her attention was attracted by Mr. Scaley himself, who, walking up to one of the cheval glasses, gave it a hard poke in the centre with his stick, as coolly as if it had been made of cast iron.
"Good plate this here, Tix," said Mr. Scaley to his friend.
"Ah!" rejoined Mr. Tix, placing the marks of his four fingers, and a duplicate impression of his thumb on a piece of sky-blue silk; "and this here article warn't made for nothing, mind you."
From the silk Mr. Tix transferred his admiration to some elegant
