Pray Heaven we shall have no cause to miss him when he departs! But, to tell you the truth, he takes more than his share of our common purse." "What! is he avaricious ?" "Quite the reverse; but he's so cursedly fond of building, he invests all his money (and wants us to invest all ours) in houses; and there's one confounded dog of a bricklayer who runs him up terrible bills,--a fellow called 'Cunning Nat,' who is equally adroit in spoiling ground and improving ground rent." "What do you mean ?" "Ah! thereby hangs a tale.

But we are near the place now; you will see a curious set." As Tomlinson said this, the pair approached a house standing alone, and seemingly without any other abode in the vicinity.

It was of curious and grotesque shape, painted white, with a Gothic chimney, a Chinese sign-post (on which was depicted a gentleman fishing, with the words "The Jolly Angler" written beneath), and a porch that would have been Grecian if it had not been Dutch.

It stood in a little field, with a hedge behind it, and the common in front.

Augustus stopped at the door; and while he paused, bursts of laughter rang cheerily within.
"Ah, the merry boys!" he muttered; "I long to be with them;" and then with his clenched fist he knocked four times on the door.