peaches ripened in their season.

The summer light struck into the corner brilliantly in the

earlier part of the day; but, when the streets grew hot, the corner

was in shadow, though not in shadow so remote but that you could

see beyond it into a glare of brightness. It was a cool spot, staid but

cheerful, a wonderful place for echoes, and a very harbour from

the raging streets.

There ought to have been a tranquil bark in such an anchorage,

and there was. The Doctor occupied two floors of a large still

house, where several callings purported to be pursued by day, but

whereof little was audible any day, and which was shunned by all

of them at night. In a building at the back, attainable by a

courtyard where a plane-tree rustled its green leaves, churchorgans

claimed to be made, and silver to be chased, and likewise

gold to be beaten by some mysterious giant who had a golden arm

starting out of the wall of the front hallas if he had beaten

himself precious, and menaced a similar conversion of all visitors.

Very little of these trades, or of a lonely lodger rumoured to live

upstairs, or of a dim coach-trimming maker asserted to have a

counting-house below, was ever heard or seen. Occasionally, a

stray workman putting his coat on, traversed the hall, or a

stranger peered about there, or a distant clink was heard across

the court