Gissing, George: The Paying Guest. V1. 9 Sep 2010
 

George Robert Gissing (pronounced /ˈɡɪsɪŋ/ – the g in his surname is hard; 22 November 1857 – 28 December 1903) was an English novelist who wrote twenty-three novels between 1880 and 1903. From his early naturalistic works, he developed into one of the most accomplished realists of the late-Victorian era.

Excerpt
It was Mumford who saw the advertisement and made the suggestion. His wife gave him a startled look.
'But—you don't mean that it's necessary? Have we been extrav—'
'No, no! Nothing of the kind. It just occurred to me that some such arrangement might be pleasant for you. You must feel lonely, now and then, during the day, and as we have plenty of room—'