DIFFICULTIES, DUMPS AND DIMPLES. l6l 



and these two remained alone in that great empty mansion 

 during the whole winter and spring. It was a most repre- 

 hensible system, carried out, if not in utter disregard of 

 moral considerations, at least in most culpable thoughtless- 

 ness b u t it is one even yet not at all uncommon, involving 

 consequences which are not seldom painful. 



The kitchen, in which these two guardians of the 

 place were then obliged to spend the greater part of the 

 day together, is in the west end of the sunk flat, to which 

 a long flight of stone steps leads down at the back. 

 It is a square, whitewashed room of considerable size, 

 with stone floor, low roof, and large old-fashioned fire- 

 place. It is lighted by a window, above the level of the 

 eye, which looks to the front, and round which are clustered 

 some of the plants that grow in the plot outside. Im- 

 mediately off the kitchen, close to the back door, there 

 is a small closet, in which Charles then slept. A passage 

 runs from the kitchen along the front of the house, leading 

 to other apartments on the same floor, where was the 

 housekeeper's room, and to the hall and house above. 



The housekeeper was considerably older than the 

 youthful gardener, and though she could be pleasant 

 when she liked, she was not blessed with the sweetest 

 disposition. She was bilious in look and temperament 

 and unattractive in her style. For some reason, best 

 known to herself, she by-and-by took a moody dislike to 

 her companion, and annoyed him in a hundred ways, 

 as only a woman in such circumstances can, alternated 

 with kindly offices. She might have made his life 

 miserable ; but as it was, from his inexhaustible humour 

 and spirit, high health, and the grateful relief afforded 



M 



