“‘I have been in search of hotel accommodation, ma’am,’ says he, ‘for several days; respectable apartments in a respectable neighbourhood, and hearing yours highly spoken of, I have called.’
“Well, my dear, he was the nicest young man you ever see; so mild and quiet, and honest looking, very much like my brother was before he was killed, and I thought that he certainly must be a very genteel, amiable young man, and I let him have the lodgings.
“After a few nights he got more and more at home with the lodgers, and even played the harp and guitar in the parlour; and Mistress Haylark said, and the other ladies also, that he was the nicest young man, that ever lived in my house.
“He dressed very stylish, my dear, and would have his apartments arranged, and swept, and dusted oftener than anybody else, for which he was willing to pay ‘extra,’ he said, if required.
“The number of wax candles that young man had, and the coals, and odds and ends of different kinds, were considerable, my dear, but he said he had never denied himself in anything, being rich, and, therefore, couldn’t do without them.
“The number of things which shopmen sent in, was wonderful; new boots and shoes, new coats and waistcoats, and fine linen, until we all began to think, at one time, he was going to make a runaway match with Mistress Haylark’s daughter Fanny.
“For he seemed very sweet in that quarter, and Mistress Haylark was very fond of him also; too fond of him, I think, between ourselves, considering she’s a widow just as old as me almost, except she primps and paints, and wears false back hair.
“Oh, bless you, we all liked him amazing, and he was so nicely dressed and well behaved, and had so many ways of entertaining a room full of company, that the first month passed like a single week.
“Although my rule is ‘weekly payments,’ he was so polite, and offered me so many references that I felt I could trust my whole house in his hands.
“I loaned him several sums on different occasions, as he was out of ‘small change,’ he said, and after he had been two months in the house—oh! that I’m obliged to confess it—he, one night, suddenly disappeared, trunks and all! without paying any one a single penny, my dear!