"the gentleman before me gazed at me for some seconds in amazement, and his wife in terror; as though there was something alarmingly extraordinary in the fact that anyone could come to see them. but suddenly he fell upon me almost with fury; i had had no time to mutter more than a couple of words; but he had doubtless observed that i was decently dressed and, therefore, took deep offence because i had dared enter his den so unceremoniously, and spy out the squalor and untidiness of it.