“A little, pale, wall-eyed, woebegone inn, like a large dust-bin of two compartments and a sifter. It looks as if Symond were a sparing man in his day, and constructed his inn of old building materials, which took kindly to the dry rot, and to dirt, and all things decaying and dismal, and perpetuated Symond’s memory with congenial shabbiness.” This inn has ceased to exist for many years past, its position being now occupied by a large printer’s establishment and other offices. Readers of “Bleak House” will remember that the professional chambers of _Mr. Vholes_ were here situated, and that _Richard Carstone_ and his young wife _Ada_ resided in the next house, in order that Richard might have his legal adviser close at hand. Here occurred the early death of poor Richard; and we all cherish the remembrance of dear Ada’s wifely devotion, to which _Esther Summerson_ thus refers:— “The days when I frequented that miserable corner which my dear girl brightened can never fade in my remembrance. I never see it, and I never wish to see it now; I have been there only once since; but in my memory there is a mournful glory shining on the place, which will shine for ever.” Leaving Chancery Lane, and turning (right) by Carey Street, we reach Bell Yard, leading to Fleet Street. This place has been mentioned by Dickens as containing a “chandler’s shop, left-hand side,” where lodged _Gridley_, “the man from Shropshire,” and _Neckett_, the faithful servitor of Coavinses. The name—Bell Yard—forms the heading of chapter 15, “Bleak House,” which affords information of the Neckett family—_Charlie_, _Tom_, and the limp-bonneted _baby_. For full details, reference should be made to this very touching and beautifully-written chapter as above. Great alterations have been made, and are still being made, in this narrow lane, since the erection of the New Law Courts in the immediate vicinity; but some of the older houses still remain on the left-hand side of the way. Of these, No. 9 is a small, tall, squeezed-looking house, about half-way down the alley, and may be safely assigned (thirty years since) to the tenancy of the good-natured Mrs. Blinder. Passing through Bell Yard, we reach _Fleet Street_, at the point where once TEMPLE BAR gave ancient entrance to the City. Its position is marked by a bronze griffin, surmounting a memorial pedestal beneath. Exactly on the opposite side of the street is the handsome modern erection of _Child’s Bank_. This new building dates from 1878, when the structure of old _Temple Bar_ was removed. It replaces one of the very old-fashioned houses of London, in which for many years Messrs. Child carried on their important banking business. This house is spoken of by Dickens, in his “Tale of Two Cities,” as Tellson’s Bank, on the outside of which the mysterious _Mr. Cruncher_ was usually in attendance as “odd-job man, and occasional porter and messenger.”