Nothing daunted, I
next entered the shop of a neighbouring bookseller, and repeated my
inquiries, but with no better success. I then made my way to that of
a milliner; and though a young girl, who was busily engaged at her
needle, looked up for a moment with an arch smile, and then turned
away, as I plainly perceived, to repress a hearty laugh, her mistress
dismissed me with the expression of her opinion 'that no such person
lived in that town, nor, she believed, in any other.' I felt a little
puzzled to know what the girl had found so ludicrous in my simple
question, and wondered if my repeated disappointments had given me a
forlorn air. 'At any rate,' thought I, 'this Mr Egg is not so
generally known as I expected to find him. I had better walk up the
street and try if I can discover any outward indications of his
abode.'
I spent a weary half-hour in this endeavour, and as it now seemed
evident to me that no considerable shop could belong to the object of
my search, I lowered my tone in addressing an old apple-woman, who
sat behind a table covered with her stores at the corner of the
street.
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