"The very thing," said the old farmer, rubbing his hands; and then he added to himself, "Now I can watch the state of things quietly, without saying anything to anybody; I'll see what these folks are made of."
He knocked at the door and it was opened by a tidy little girl, whose face would have been pretty if the fresh air of the country had brought the roses into it; at least so Farmer Shipton thought, as she dropped a courtesy to him.
"Lodgings to let here?" he inquired in his own gruff, surly tone.
"Yes, sir."
"Got a room that would do me?"
"Yes, sir; I think so."
"Mother at home, girl, or your missus?"
"Mother is, sir; will you please to walk inside?"
"Put down the box, lad, and here's your sixpence;—shameful charge to make; why, in the part I come from, a bigger lad than you would have got no more for a whole day's work; but it's my belief this London is made up of thieves and fools! Here's a staircase dark as midnight! Why, they say country folks come to town to be enlightened—but it doesn't seem much like it! Thieves and fools—thieves and fools. Thieves to do the fools, and fools to be done by the thieves!" Thus grumbling, he got up the first flight of stairs, and paused at a door which the little girl who guided him opened. And here we must pause for a moment, just to say that Farmer Shipton, for reasons best known to himself, dropped his name outside the door, and entered that room as Mr. Smith.
A middle-aged woman, dressed in rather rusty black, and wearing a widow's cap, stood up as he appeared, and laid down some very fine needlework, which she was engaged upon. A girl about a year younger than the little maiden who had opened the door, was sitting on a low stool by her mother's side, cutting out a paper-pattern; and a boy of about nine years old was stretched on the rag-mat fast asleep. The room was scrupulously neat, but very poorly furnished; and the old farmer looked round keenly as he stood on the threshold. "Hum!" he said to himself, "no extravagance here, most certainly!" but aloud he said, "I want a lodging; are there any to be had?"