“Have you other lodgers?”
“No others, sir, except a poor gentleman and his daughter as have the rooms over these, and has never paid me a penny for ’em,” added the woman, in a low tone, but loud enough to be heard.
“I will engage these rooms, for a lady, who will take possession immediately; and here is four weeks’ payment in advance.”
Mrs. Corder curtsied lowly in acknowledgment of this liberality, and promised to have fires lighted immediately to air the apartments.
And Mr. Montrose hurried back to the White Swan, where he found Eudora still resting in the easy-chair, and awaiting him.
“I have found you lodgings, dearest, where I hope and believe you will be both comfortable and safe. They are over a small green-grocer’s shop kept by a stout, rosy good-humored-looking widow, with a large family of young children. And with her shop, her children, and her lodgers to attend to, she is much too busy to pry into other peoples’ private affairs. You may get ready now while I call a carriage,” said Malcolm, and without waiting to hear her warm thanks, he passed out.
In two minutes he returned, and led his companion, who was quite ready, to the carriage. Her box was put in, and the directions given to the coachman, who drove on.
A quarter of an hour’s drive brought them to the private entrance of Mrs. Corder’s house. The good-humored landlady stood at the door to receive her new lodger.
Mr. Montrose alighted, handed Eudora out, and led her into the house, followed by the coachman carrying the box, which he sat down in the passage.
“Poor girl,” murmured the landlady to herself, as she noticed the deep mourning and pale face of her guest. “Poor girl! an orphan, I dare say—some clergyman’s daughter come up to London to get her living as a daily governess or something. She do look like that. But lawk, she’ll never be able to pay twenty-five shillings a week for her lodgings, and that she’ll soon find out. Hows’ever, the gentleman has paid the first month in advance, and maybe he may——. Lawk, I wonder whatever he is to her——.”