Mrs Bouncer, a London lodging-house keeper, is letting an apartment to a double tenantry – to Mr Box, a printer on a daily newspaper, and to Mr Cox, a journeyman hatter, the former occupying the room during the day, the latter during the night. They invariably meet on the stairs of the lodging house when one comes in from work as the other is going out, but neither one has any idea that Mrs Bouncer is letting his room to the other.

One fateful day, Mr Cox is unexpectedly let off of work and returns home to find Mr Box asleep in what he takes to be his bed, leading to Mrs Bouncer's deceit finally being uncovered.

A one act farce by John Maddison Morton, first produced at the Lyceum Theatre, London, on 1 November 1847, based on Frisette, a French one-act vaudeville by Eugène Marin Labiche and Auguste Lefranc.