CHAPTER XVIII.
Mr.Stevens falls into Bad Hands.
The amiable partner of Mr.Stevens sat in high dudgeon, at being so long restrained from her favourite beverage by the unusually deferred absence of her husband.

At length she was rejoiced by hearing his well-known step as he came through the garden, and the rattle of his latch-key as he opened the door was quite musical in her ears.
"I thought you was never coming," said she, querulously, as he entered the room; "I have been waiting tea until I am almost starved." "You needn't have waited a moment, for you will be obliged to eat alone after all; I'm going out.

Pour me out a cup of tea--I'll drink it whilst I'm dressing; and," continued Mr.Stevens, "I want you to get me that old brown over-coat and those striped trowsers I used to wear occasionally." "Why, you told me," rejoined Mrs.Stevens, "that you did not require them again, and so I exchanged them for this pair of vases to-day." "The devil you did!" said Mr.Stevens, angrily; "you let them lie about the house for nearly a year--and now, just as they were likely to be of some service to me, you've sold them.

It's just like you--always doing something at the wrong time." "How on earth, Stevens, was I to know you wanted them ?" "Well, there, Jule, they're gone; don't let's have any more talk about it.
Get me another cup of tea; I must go out immediately." After hastily swallowing the second cup, Mr.Stevens left his home, and walked to an omnibus-station, from whence he was quickly transported to a street in the lower part of the city, in which were a number of second-hand clothing stores.

These places were supported principally by the country people who attended the market in the same street, and who fancied that the clothing they purchased at these shops must be cheap, because it was at second-hand.
Mr.Stevens stopped at the door of one of these establishments, and paused to take a slight survey of the premises before entering.