scroll, majestic in its severe simplicity, illuminated a little slip of
front garden abutting on the thirsty high-road, where a few of the dustiest of
leaves hung their dismal heads and led a life of choking. A professor of writing
occupied the first-floor, and enlivened the garden railings with glass-cases
containing choice examples of what his pupils had been before six lessons and
while the whole of his young family shook the table, and what they had become
after six lessons when the young family was under restraint. The tenancy of Mr.
Pancks was limited to one airy bedroom; he covenanting and agreeing with Mr.
Rugg his landlord, that in consideration of a certain scale of payments
accurately defined, and on certain verbal notice duly given, he should be at
liberty to elect to share the Sunday breakfast, dinner, tea, or supper, or each
or any or all of those repasts or meals, of Mr. and Miss Rugg (his daughter) in
the back-parlour.
    Miss Rugg was a lady of a little property, which she had acquired, together
with much distinction in the neighbourhood, by having her heart severely
lacerated and her feelings mangled by a middle-aged baker, resident in the
vicinity, against whom she had, by the agency of Mr. Rugg, found it necessary to
proceed at law to recover damages for a breach of promise of marriage. The baker
having been, by the counsel for Miss Rugg, witheringly denounced on that
occasion up to the full amount of twenty guineas, at the rate of about
eighteen-pence an epithet, and having been cast in corresponding damages, still
suffered occasional persecution from the youth of Pentonville. But Miss Rugg,
environed by the majesty of the law, and having her damages invested in the
public securities, was regarded with consideration.
    In the society of Mr. Rugg, who had a round white visage, as if all his
blushes had been drawn out of him long ago, and who had a ragged yellow head
like a worn-out hearth-broom; and in the society of Miss Rugg, who had little
nankeen spots, like shirt buttons, all over her face, and whose own yellow
tresses were rather scrubby than luxuriant; Mr. Pancks had usually dined on
Sundays for some few years, and had twice a week, or so, enjoyed an evening
collation of bread, Dutch cheese, and porter. Mr. Pancks was one of the very few
marriageable men for whom Miss Rugg had no terrors, the argument with which he
reassured himself being twofold; that is to say, firstly