‘I wonder if you could help me,’ I said; ’I want to find a room here if I can, but every place seems so full.’

’Yes, it is full, sir, in August; that’s the main time here.  Let me see, there’s Brown’s, they’re full, and Robinson’s, and Wilson’s, and Thomson’s, all full up.  There’s Giles’, they have a room, I believe, but they’re not over clean; maybe you’re particular, sir.’

‘Well,’ I said, ’I do like things clean; I don’t mind how rough they are if they’re only clean.’

‘Ah,’ he said, with a twinkle in his eye; ’you wouldn’t care for one pan to do all the work of the house—­to boil the dirty clothes, and the fish, and your bit of pudding for dinner, and not overmuch cleaning of it in between.’

‘No,’ I said, laughing; ‘I should not like that, certainly.’

’Might give the pudding a flavour of stockings, and a sauce of fish oil,’ he answered.  ’Well, you’re right, sir; I shouldn’t like it myself.  Cleanliness is next to godliness, that’s my idea.  Well, then, that being as it is, I wouldn’t go to Giles’, not if them is your sentiments with regard to pans, sir.’

’Then I suppose there’s nothing for it but to trudge up to the hotel at the top of the hill,’ I said, with something of a groan.

‘Well, sir,’ he said, hesitating a little; ’me and my missus, we have a room as we lets sometimes, but it’s a poor place, sir, homely like, as ye may say.  Maybe you wouldn’t put up with it.’

‘Would you let me see it?’ I asked.

’With pleasure, sir; it’s rough, but it’s clean.  We could promise you a clean pan, sir.  My missus she’s a good one for cleaning; she’s not one of them slatternly, good-for-nothing lasses.  There’s heaps of them here, sir, idling away their time.  She’s a good girl is my Polly.  Why, if that isn’t little John a-clambering up the steps to his daddy!’

He jumped up as he said this, and ran quickly down the steep flight of steps which led down from the height on which the seat was placed, and soon returned with a little lad about two years old in his arms.

The child was as fair as his father was dark.  He was a pretty boy with light hair and blue eyes, and was tidily dressed in a bright red cap and clean white-pinafore.

‘Tea’s ready, daddy,’ said the boy; ‘come home with little John.’

‘Maybe you wouldn’t object to a cup o’ tea, sir,’ said the father, turning to me; ’it’ll hearten you up a bit after your journey, and there’s sure to be herrings.  We almost lives on herrings here, sir, and then, if you’re so minded, you can look at the room after.  Ye’ll excuse me if I make too bold, sir,’ he added, as he gently patted little John’s tiny hand, which rested on his arm.

‘I shall be only too glad to come,’ I said; ’for I am very hungry, and if Polly’s room is as nice as I think it will be, it will be just the place for me.’