Then they went into the inner room, and Anna sat down on the chair Cedric had occupied, and looked round her with undisguised amazement: the shabbiness and ugliness of the surroundings almost shocked her.
"Oh, Malcolm, it is not a bit nice and comfortable," she said with an anxious frown: "fancy your spending your days in this dreary room." Then Malcolm gave an amused laugh.
"Poor little girl, so you are disappointed in my literary den.

I suppose you thought I should have carved oak and Russia leather bindings; but we don't go in for aesthetic furniture in Lincoln's Inn." "But it is so ugly and so dingy, Malcolm." "Is it ?" he returned, quite surprised at this severe criticism.

"I think it quite snug myself.

I have done some good work here, Anna, so I suppose the ugliness and dinginess are somewhat inspiring." And Malcolm glanced at his littered writing-table rather proudly.
As Anna felt no temptation to linger, they started off briskly in search of Todmorden's Lane.
They found it with little difficulty.

It was a small side street, of somewhat unprepossessing appearance, leading out of Beauchamp Street.
Bennet, boot-maker and umbrella-maker, had a dark, dingy little shop just at the corner.