same moment the entrance of Mr Watts afforded him an opportunity.

I observe,' said he, addressing the landlord, but taking at the same

time the whole room into his confidence with an encouraging look, 'I

observe that some of these gentlemen are looking with curiosity in

my direction; and certainly it is unusual to see anyone immersed in

literary and scientific labours in the public apartment of an inn. I

have here some calculations I made this morning upon the cost of living

in this and other countries--a subject, I need scarcely say, highly

interesting to the working classes. I have calculated a scale of living

for incomes of eighty, one hundred and sixty, two hundred, and two

hundred and forty pounds a year. I must confess that the income of

eighty pounds has somewhat baffled me, and the others are not so exact

as I could wish; for the price of washing varies largely in foreign

countries, and the different cokes, coals and firewoods fluctuate

surprisingly. I will read my researches, and I hope you won't scruple to

point out to me any little errors that I may have committed either from

oversight or ignorance. I will begin, gentlemen, with the income of

eighty pounds a year.'

Whereupon the old gentleman, with less compassion than he would have

had

for brute beasts, delivered himself of all his tedious calculations.

As he occasionally gave nine versions of a single income, placing

the imaginary person in London, Paris, Bagdad, Spitzbergen,

Bassorah, Heligoland, the Scilly Islands, Brighton, Cincinnati, and

The Wrong Box