Not knowing what might be the matter, and being easily apprehensive now, I thought it best to go to this place by myself. I bade Charley be quick with my bonnet and veil and my shawl, and having put them on, went away down the little hilly street, where I was as much at home as in Mr. Boythorn's garden.
Mr. Grubble was standing in his shirt-sleeves at the door of his very clean little tavern waiting for me. He lifted off his hat with both hands when he saw me coming, and carrying it so, as if it were an iron vessel (it looked as heavy), preceded me along the sanded passage to his best parlour, a neat carpeted room with more plants in it than were quite convenient, a coloured print of Queen Caroline, several shells, a good many tea-trays, two stuffed and dried fish in glass cases, and either a curious egg or a curious pumpkin (but I don't know which, and I doubt if many people did) hanging from his ceiling. I knew Mr. Grubble very well by sight, from his often standing at his door. A pleasant-looking, stoutish, middle-aged man who never seemed to consider himself cozily dressed for his own fire-side without his hat and top-boots, but who never wore a coat except at church.
He snuffed the candle, and backing away a little to see how it looked, backed out of the room--unexpectedly to me, for I was going to ask him by whom he had been sent. The door of the opposite parlour being then opened, I heard some voices, familiar in my ears I thought, which stopped. A quick light step approached the room in which I was, and who should stand before me but Richard!

Not knowing what might be the matter, I put on my bonnet, veil and shawl, and went down the little hilly street to the clean little tavern.
Mr. Grubble, a pleasant-looking, middle-aged man, was standing in his shirt-sleeves at the door waiting for me. He lifted his hat when he saw me coming, and led me to his best parlour, a neat room full of plants, a coloured print of Queen Caroline, a good many tea-trays, and two stuffed fish in glass cases.
Mr. Grubble snuffed the candle, and backed out of the room. The door of the opposite parlour opened, a quick light step came in, and who should stand before me but Richard!
