in arranging a little transaction, the total amount of which did not exceed L15.
In that instance, however, Charley, who had already dabbled somewhat deeply in dressing-cases, utterly refused to trade in the articles produced.
Charley stood with his back to the dog and duck, facing Winter, with Spring on his right and Autumn on his left; it was well that Summer was gone, no summer could have shed light on that miserable chamber.

He knew that he would have to wait, and was not therefore impatient, and at the end of fifteen minutes Mr.
M'Ruen shuffled into the room in his slippers.
He was a little man, with thin grey hair, which stood upright from his narrow head--what his age might have been it was impossible to guess; he was wizened, and dry, and grey, but still active enough on his legs when he had exchanged his slippers for his shoes; and as keen in all his senses as though years could never tell upon him.
He always wore round his neck a stiff-starched deep white handkerchief, not fastened with a bow in front, the ends being tucked in so as to be invisible.

This cravat not only covered his throat but his chin also, so that his head seemed to grow forth from it without the aid of any neck; and he had a trick of turning his face round within it, an inch or two to the right or to the left, in a manner which seemed to indicate that his cranium was loose and might be removed at pleasure.
He shuffled into the room where Charley was standing with little short quick steps, and putting out his hand, just touched that of his customer, by way of going through the usual process of greeting.
Some short statement must be made of Charley's money dealings with Mr.M'Ruen up to this period.

About two years back a tailor had an over-due bill of his for L20, of which he was unable to obtain payment, and being unwilling to go to law, or perhaps being himself in Mr.M'Ruen's power, he passed this bill to that worthy gentleman--what amount of consideration he got for it, it matters not now to inquire; Mr.M'Ruen very shortly afterwards presented himself at the Internal Navigation, and introduced himself to our hero.

He did this with none of the overbearing harshness of the ordinary dun, or the short caustic decision of a creditor determined to resort to the utmost severity of the law.
He turned his head about and smiled, and just showed the end of the bill peeping out from among a parcel of others, begged Mr.
Tudor to be punctual, he would only ask him to be punctual, and would in such case do anything for him, and ended his visit by making an appointment to meet Charley in the little street behind Mecklenburg Square.