The private residence of Mr Pancks was in Pentonville, where he lodged
on the second-floor of a professional gentleman in an extremely small
way, who had an inner-door within the street door, poised on a spring
and starting open with a click like a trap; and who wrote up in the
fan-light,
RUGG, GENERAL AGENT, ACCOUNTANT, DEBTS RECOVERED.
This 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.