"
"Upon my honor, I am not, Mrs. Robson. I will gladly be your lodger
if you will admit me; and to convince you that I am in earnest, my
portmanteau shall this moment be brought here."
"Well, sir," resumed she, "I shall be honored in having you in my
house; but I have no room for any one but yourself, not even for a
servant."
"I have no servant."
"Then I will wait on him, grandmother," cried the little Nanny; "do
let the gentleman have them; I am sure he looks honest."
The woman colored at this last observation of the child, and
proceeded:
"Then, sir, if you should not disdain the rooms when you see them, I
shall be too happy in having so good a gentleman under my roof.
Pardon my boldness, sir; but may I ask? I think by your dress you are
a foreigner?"
"I am," replied Thaddeus, the radiance which played over his features
contracting into a glow; "if you have no objection to take a stranger
within your doors, from this hour I shall consider your house my
home?"
"As your honor pleases," said Mrs. Robson; "my terms are half-a-
guinea a week; and I will tend on you as though you were my own son!
for I cannot forget, excellent young gentleman, the way in which we
first met."
"Then I will leave you for the present;" returned he, rising, and
putting down the little William, who had been amusing himself with
examining the silver points of the star of St.
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