We naturally drew back and glanced

at our conductress, who had

been trying to open the house-door with a key she had taken from her

pocket, and to whom Richard now said that as we had had the pleasure

of seeing where she lived, we would leave her, being pressed for time.

But she was not to be so easily left. She became so fantastically and

pressingly earnest in her entreaties that we would walk up and see her

apartment for an instant, and was so bent, in her harmless way, on

leading me in, as part of the good omen she desired, that I (whatever the

others might do) saw nothing for it but to comply. I suppose we were all

more or less curious; at any rate, when the old man added his

persuasions to hers and said, Aye, aye! Please her! It won’t take a ‟

minute! Come in, come in! Come in through the shop if t’other door’s

out of order!” we all went in, stimulated by Richard’s laughing

encouragement and relying on his protection.

‟My landlord, Krook,” said the little old lady, condescending to him

from her lofty station as she presented him to us. He is called among ‟

the neighbours the Lord Chancellor. His shop is called the Court of

Chancery. He is a very eccentric person. He is very odd. Oh, I assure you

he is very odd!”

She shook her head a great many times and tapped her forehead with

her finger to express to us that we must have the goodness to excuse him,

‟For he is a little—you know—M!” said the old lady with great

stateliness. The old man overheard, and laughed.

It’s true enough,” he said, going before us with the lantern, that they ‟ ‟

call me the Lord Chancellor and call my shop Chancery. And why do you

think they call me the Lord Chancellor and my shop Chancery?”

‟I don’t know, I am sure!” said Richard rather carelessly.

You see,” said the old man, stopping and turning round, they—Hi! ‟ ‟

Here’s lovely hair! I have got three sacks of ladies’ hair below, but none

so beautiful and fine as this. What colour, and what texture!”

‟That’ll do, my good friend!” said Richard, strongly disapproving of at our conductress, who had

been trying to open the house-door with a key she had taken from her

pocket, and to whom Richard now said that as we had had the pleasure

of seeing where she lived, we would leave her, being pressed for time.

But she was not to be so easily left. She became so fantastically and

pressingly earnest in her entreaties that we would walk up and see her

apartment for an instant, and was so bent, in her harmless way, on

leading me in, as part of the good omen she desired, that I (whatever the

others might do) saw nothing for it but to comply. I suppose we were all

more or less curious; at any rate, when the old man added his

persuasions to hers and said, Aye, aye! Please her! It won’t take a ‟

minute! Come in, come in! Come in through the shop if t’other door’s

out of order!” we all went in, stimulated by Richard’s laughing

encouragement and relying on his protection.

‟My landlord, Krook,” said the little old lady, condescending to him

from her lofty station as she presented him to us. He is called among ‟

the neighbours the Lord Chancellor. His shop is called the Court of

Chancery. He is a very eccentric person. He is very odd. Oh, I assure you

he is very odd!”

She shook her head a great many times and tapped her forehead with

her finger to express to us that we must have the goodness to excuse him,

‟For he is a little—you know—M!” said the old lady with great

stateliness. The old man overheard, and laughed.

It’s true enough,” he said, going before us with the lantern, that they ‟ ‟

call me the Lord Chancellor and call my shop Chancery. And why do you

think they call me the Lord Chancellor and my shop Chancery?”

‟I don’t know, I am sure!” said Richard rather carelessly.

You see,” said the old man, stopping and turning round, they—Hi! ‟ ‟

Here’s lovely hair! I have got three sacks of ladies’ hair below, but none

so beautiful and fine as this. What colour, and what texture!”

‟That’ll do, my good friend!” said Richard, strongly disapproving of