In the time of the last tenant it had been used as a garden tool-house.

It was a tolerably large room, and had a tolerably small window, which was in front, the door being on the side, opposite the side entrance of the house.

A counter ran along the room at the back, and a table, covered with miscellaneous articles, stood on the right.

Shelves were ranged completely round the room aloft, and a pair of steps, used for getting down the jars and bottles, rested in a corner.

There was another room behind it, used exclusively by Dr.West.
Seated on the counter, pounding desperately away at something in a mortar, as if his life depended on it, was a peculiar-looking gentleman in shirt-sleeves.