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A Theatrical Boarding-House in Sydney- 89afternoon at the Botanical Gardens, andthat evening he left for Melbourne. Wewent to the train to see him off, shakinghands with real friendliness and hopingthat we would all meet again. We neverdid. He was arrested in Melbourne andput into jail for swindling. He and ayoung man with him, both travellingunder aliases, were well-known Englishcrooks. They had followed a wealthylord across America to Australia andwere caught by bank officials in a confidencetrick. He and the Watsons werethe only friends I made on the Mariposa.One afternoon Austin and I went tolook at the boarding-house that had beenselected for us. It was an expensive, respectable,perfectly awful place. I lookedat the stuffy red-velvet chairs, the heavyhangings, the landlady with a false front,false teeth, and false manners, and fledback to the hotel to put off the evil dayof moving as long as I could.When my money was almost gone Icalled at Towne & Co., the bankers, todraw my allowance, walking in withaplomb, and giving my name and thesum I wished to draw.The clerk looked at me with a blankface and referred me to some one else,who sent me to still some one else, till Ifound myself in a little glass office withthe coldest, hardest man I had ever met.He bad never heard the name of RobertLouis Stevenson; he had no money forme nor any advice to give me."But Mr. Stevenson told me that hehad arranged it all, and that I only hadto come here and draw my money everyweek."The man said he was sorry, but lookedas though he didn't believe a word I said."But what shall I do?" I asked. Hedidn't know and intimated that he didn'tcare."But what if your wife or your sisterfound herself in a strange land withoutany money or friends," I went on desperately;"what would you advise her todo?""See her consul," he snapped, turningto his papers.With my heart beating so that itchoked me, I went to the office of theAmerican consul though I don't rememberhow I found the place.Our representative was a large fat man.I recognized him as a fellow passengeron the Mariposa, who had annoyed me byhis way of speaking of the "Yeu-nitedStates Senate," and what he had said tothe "Yeu-nited States Senate." He wasa type of the old-fashioned politician,with a huge black mustache and a bigcigar. He remained seated, I remember,during our interview. He seemed tothink that I had come to get money outof him, for he repeated several times thathe had no funds at his disposal for destituteAmericans.I must say my story must have soundedvery flimsy, "Every member of my familygone off in a little boat with no addressbut the South Seas," but finally I wakedhim to some trepidation by saying:"This is American soil; we are under theAmerican flag ! If I can't find a place togo I will bring my child and stay here."I left him babbling that he had no accommodationsfor ladies at the consulate.It was still early in the day. Fortunately,I had paid my bill at the hotel,but I had very little left. Barely twopounds, a sum that would not pay forone week at the red-plush boardinghouse.Evidently the first thing to do was tofind cheap lodgings at once. We startedout with a little list I had cut from thenewspaper.I had never known before that humanbeings existed in such awful places. Darkrooms, smelly hallways, slatternly servants,obsequious inquisitive landladies,each more impossible than the other.Fortunately, I had to pretend to bebrave so as not to frighten Austin. Hewas looking very anxious and a boy ofeight understands more than one imagines.I talked cheerfully to keep himfrom suspecting how worried I felt. Itwas growing late as we crossed the Domain—awell-laid-out park full of beautifultrees—mysterious and shadowy inthe gathering darkness. I was tired, discouraged,and more frightened than I hadever been in my life before. It was thenthat the good Lord led me straight toMiss Leaney's theatrical boarding-house.She charged me one pound ten a weekfor the two of us, including board and alarge clean room on the top floor front