CHAPTER XII.
Mr.Garie's Neighbour.
We must now introduce our readers into the back parlour of the house belonging to Mr.Garie's next-door neighbour, Mr.Thomas Stevens.
We find this gentleman standing at a window that overlooked his garden, enjoying a fragrant Havannah.

His appearance was not by any means prepossessing; he was rather above than below the middle height, with round shoulders, and long, thin arms, finished off by disagreeable-looking hands.
His head was bald on the top, and the thin greyish-red hair, that grew more thickly about his ears, was coaxed up to that quarter, where an attempt had been made to effect such a union between the cords of the hair from each side as should cover the place in question.
The object, however, remained unaccomplished; as the hair was either very obstinate and would not be induced to lie as desired, or from extreme modesty objected to such an elevated position, and, in consequence, stopped half-way, as if undecided whether to lie flat or remain erect, producing the effect that would have been presented had he been decorated with a pair of horns.

His baldness might have given an air of benevolence to his face, but for the shaggy eyebrows that over-shadowed his cunning-looking grey eyes.

His cheekbones were high, and the cadaverous skin was so tightly drawn across them, as to give it a very parchment-like appearance.

Around his thin compressed lips there was a continual nervous twitching, that added greatly to the sinister aspect of his face.
On the whole, he was a person from whom you would instinctively shrink; and had he been president or director of a bank in which you had money deposited, his general aspect would not have given you additional confidence in the stable character or just administration of its affairs.
Mr.George Stevens was a pettifogging attorney, who derived a tolerable income from a rather disreputable legal practice picked up among the courts that held their sessions in the various halls of the State-house.