called a “tumble-down” condition:  there was certainly plenty of garden, and two large meadows, but, like the rest of the place, they were sadly out of order.  When we said it was not at all the house we had expected to find from reading the advertisement, we asked what sort of house we expected to get for $300 with five acres of land.  Now that was a question we could not have answered had we not seen the pretty cottage with nearly as much ground at Esher; however, we did not give the owner the benefit of our experience, but merely said that the house would not suit us, and drove back four miles to the station, rather out of spirits with the result of our day’s work.

For more than a fortnight did we daily set forth on this voyage of discovery.  One day we started with a card to view “a delightful Cottage Ornee, situated four miles from Weybridge;” this time the rent was still higher than any we had previously seen.  When we arrived at the village in which the house was represented to be, we asked for “Heathfield House,” and were told that no one knew of any residence bearing that name; we were a little perplexed, and consulted the card of admittance to see whether we had brought the wrong one—­but no; there it was, “Heathfield House,” four miles from Weybridge, surrounded by its own grounds of four acres, tastefully laid out in lawn, flower and kitchen-gardens, &c, &c.  Rent only $350.  We began to imagine that we were the victims of some hoax, and were just on the point of telling the driver to return to the station, when a dirty-looking man came to the carriage, and said, “Are you looking for Heathfield House?”

“Yes,” said we.

“Well, I’ll show it to you.”

“Is it far?” we asked; as no sign of a decent habitation was to be seen near us.

“No; just over the way,” was the answer.

We looked in the direction he indicated, and saw a “brick carcase:  standing on a bare, heath piece of ground, without enclosure of any kind.

“That!” cried we; “it is impossible that can be the place we came to see!”

“Have you got a card from Mr.—?” was the query addressed to us.

“Yes,” was the reply.

“Very well; then if you will get out I’ll show it to you.”

As we had come so far we thought we might as well finish the adventure, and accordingly followed our guide over the piece of rough muddy ground which led to the brick walls before us.  We found them on a neared inspection quite as empty as they appeared from the road; neither doors nor windows were placed in them, and the staircases were not properly fixed.  It was with much trouble we succeeded in reaching the floor where the bed-chambers were to be, and found that not even the boards were laid down.  We told our conductor, that the place would not suit us, as we were compelled to remove from our present residence in three weeks.

“Well, if that’s all that hinders your taking it, I’ll engage to get it all ready in that time.”