“And did you give it?” interrupted I.

“Stop a moment, sir, and you shall hear.  I wrote down the address of that large school at Kensington, which we pass when we go to Mr Aubrey White’s.”

“What, that tremendous large board with yellow letters—­Mrs Let—­what is it?”

“Mrs Lipscombe’s seminary—­I always read the board every time I go up and down.  I gave him the address, Miss Johnson, at Mrs Lipscombe’s seminary, Kensington.  Well—­and here’s the ten-pound note, sir, which I have fairly earned.”

“Fairly earned, Tim?”

“Yes, fairly earned; for it’s all fair to cheat those who would cheat you.’

“I cannot altogether agree with you on that point, Tim, but it certainly is no more than they deserve; but this is matter for reflection.  Why should Melchior wish to find out her address without my knowledge?—­depend upon it, there is something wrong.”

“That’s what I said to myself coming home; and I made up my mind, that, for some reason or another, he wishes to regain possession of her.”

“I entertain the same idea, Timothy, and I am glad you have disappointed him.  I will take care that they shall not find her out, now that I am upon my guard.”

“But, sir, I wish to draw one good moral from this circumstance; which is, that if you had been served by any common footman, your interest would, in all probability, have been sacrificed to the ten-pound note; and that not only in this instance, but in many others, I did a very wise thing in taking my present situation.”

“I am but too well aware of that, Tim, my dear fellow,” said I, extending my hand, “and depend upon it, that if I rise, you do.  You know me well enough by this time.”

“Yes, I do, Japhet, and had rather serve you than the first nobleman in the land.  I’m going to purchase a watch with this ten-pound note, and I never shall look at it without remembering the advantage of keeping a watch over my tongue.”

Chapter XXXVI

     I fall very much in love with honesty because I find that it is
     well received in the world—­and to prove my honesty, inform the
     whole world that honest I have never been.

I proved the will of Major Carbonnell, in which there was no difficulty; and then I sat down to consider in what way I might best husband my resources.  The house was in good repair, and well furnished.  At the time that I lived with the Major, we had our drawing-room, and his bedroom, and another room equally large, used as his dressing-room, on the first floor.  The second floor was appropriated to me, and the sitting-room was used as a dining-room when we dined at home, which was but seldom.  The basement was let as a shop, at one hundred pounds per annum, but we had a private door for entrance, and the kitchens and attics.  I resolved to retain only the first floor, and let the remainder of the house; and I very soon got a tenant at sixty pounds per annum.  The attics were appropriated to Timothy and the servants belonging to the lodger.