1830.] The Golden City. 391 



the almanack. Ascending the ancient stairs, he entered a large, low 

 room, lighted with gas, which served to exhibit the filthiness of its 

 condition, and the sallow countenances of ten labourers at their desks. 

 In compliance with the directions there given him, he proceeded to an 

 adjoining closet, where, perched on a stool, sat a very short Tyrian 

 prince, by name Sichaeus, or, as he was more commonly and corruptly 

 called, Mr. Sikes. 



The room was ridiculously small, but into it were crowded, with much 

 ingenuity, a fire-place, a desk, a stool, and Mr. Sikes. Its contracted 

 dimensions seemed, however, to give its tenant no uneasiness; and, 

 indeed, he could do in it what no man could do in a palace ; for, as he 

 sat on his stool, he could open the window, shut the door, stir the fire, 

 or kill a spider on the ceiling. He heard the address of Maurice with 

 attention, but soon exhibited his reigning characteristic, which was to 

 be always busy. He had, indeed, a great weight of occupation ; but he 

 affected to have yet more, and never was so hurried or precipitate in 

 dismissing a visitor, as when beginning to kick his legs against his stool 

 for want of any other earthly employment. In fact, being busy was 

 with him as mere a trick as taking snuff, or going to church : he was 

 busy eating, busy sleeping, and busy doing nothing ; and though he 

 has since found time to die, he was so much hurried that he died 

 suddenly. 



He received Maurice with blunt civility, and, after making a few 

 inquiries, set him immediately to work at copying out a long letter of 

 business, relating chiefly to tallow, to Palcoviwitch, Lorobowsky and 

 Palarislay, merchants at St. Petersburgh. He was accordingly intro- 

 duced into the company of his fellow-clerks, and while undergoing much 

 observation and remark, he, in his turn, made several conclusions 

 respecting them. Most of them seemed to have little care of their man- 

 ners or appearance ; but there was one of more refinement, who, while 

 the rest spat openly, like cats in a passion, put his hand beside his 

 mouth to conceal the operation ; and, while two of his companions were 

 quarrelling about the shutting of a window, earnestly and politely 

 entre'ated them not to make d d fools of themselves. But they had 

 little time to waste, and, excepting some angry interludes and com- 

 plaints of an unequal division of labour, their whole attention was 

 absorbed by immense books and numberless papers. Maurice found 

 his own share of the labour sufficiently wearisome, and before he had 

 half completed it, he was assailed by a violent head-ache, which gra- 

 dually increased till the hour of his release arrived. At that wished-for 

 period, he returned to his hotel, with eyes dizzied by the glare of diur- 

 nal gas, and spirits depressed by fatigue; and beginning to suspect that, 

 though London was certainly the mart of wealth and grandeur, it was 

 not a scene of pure and unalloyed pleasure. 



The day following he occupied in seeking some place of abode more 

 suited to his very limited finances, and finally selected the first floor (as 

 the second floor of a building is generally called) of a house in the 

 suburbs, which adjoined a large open space, full of new bricks and 

 deep pits, whence their materials had been extracted. On the evening 

 of his establishment in these " pleasant and airy lodgings," he returned 

 from his office to a late dinner, much annoyed by a reproof from his 

 superior, and an insult from one of his fellow- clerks. After knocking 

 three times, he was admitted by a little girl ; and having proceeded 



