‘Mr. Grewgious,’ returned Mrs. Billickin, with much solemnity, ’I have.  You ask me have I, and my open and my honest answer air, I have.  The first and second floors is wacant, and sweet rooms.’

‘Come, come!  There’s nothing against them,’ said Mr. Grewgious, comforting himself.

‘Mr. Grewgious,’ replied Mrs. Billickin, ’pardon me, there is the stairs.  Unless your mind is prepared for the stairs, it will lead to inevitable disappointment.  You cannot, Miss,’ said Mrs. Billickin, addressing Rosa reproachfully, ’place a first floor, and far less a second, on the level footing ’of a parlour.  No, you cannot do it, Miss, it is beyond your power, and wherefore try?’

Mrs. Billickin put it very feelingly, as if Rosa had shown a headstrong determination to hold the untenable position.

‘Can we see these rooms, ma’am?’ inquired her guardian.

‘Mr. Grewgious,’ returned Mrs. Billickin, ’you can.  I will not disguise it from you, sir; you can.’

Mrs. Billickin then sent into her back parlour for her shawl (it being a state fiction, dating from immemorial antiquity, that she could never go anywhere without being wrapped up), and having been enrolled by her attendant, led the way.  She made various genteel pauses on the stairs for breath, and clutched at her heart in the drawing-room as if it had very nearly got loose, and she had caught it in the act of taking wing.

‘And the second floor?’ said Mr. Grewgious, on finding the first satisfactory.

‘Mr. Grewgious,’ replied Mrs. Billickin, turning upon him with ceremony, as if the time had now come when a distinct understanding on a difficult point must be arrived at, and a solemn confidence established, ‘the second floor is over this.’

‘Can we see that too, ma’am?’

‘Yes, sir,’ returned Mrs. Billickin, ‘it is open as the day.’

That also proving satisfactory, Mr. Grewgious retired into a window with Rosa for a few words of consultation, and then asking for pen and ink, sketched out a line or two of agreement.  In the meantime Mrs. Billickin took a seat, and delivered a kind of Index to, or Abstract of, the general question.

’Five-and-forty shillings per week by the month certain at the time of year,’ said Mrs. Billickin, ’is only reasonable to both parties.  It is not Bond Street nor yet St. James’s Palace; but it is not pretended that it is.  Neither is it attempted to be denied—­for why should it?—­that the Arching leads to a mews.  Mewses must exist.  Respecting attendance; two is kep’, at liberal wages.  Words has arisen as to tradesmen, but dirty shoes on fresh hearth-stoning was attributable, and no wish for a commission on your orders.  Coals is either by the fire, or per the scuttle.’  She emphasised the prepositions as marking a subtle but immense difference.  ’Dogs is not viewed with favour.  Besides litter, they gets stole, and sharing suspicions is apt to creep in, and unpleasantness takes place.’