And when several minutes elapsed without his appearing, the oddness of the circumstance impressed me still more.

Having no desire, after the journey in the carriage, to sit down, I whiled away the time by an inspection of the room.

And a very curious room it was; bare, dirty, neglected and, apparently, unused.

A faded carpet had been flung untidily on the floor.

A small, shabby table stood in the middle of the room; and beyond this, three horsehair-covered chairs and a chest of drawers formed the entire set of furniture.