She might as well have been dressed in a violin case.
"Why, who are you?" said Dick.
To which the only reply was, "Oh, please, will you come and show the
lodgings?"
There never was such an old-fashioned child in her looks and manner. She
must have been at work from her cradle. She seemed as much afraid of
Dick, as Dick was amazed at her.
"I haven't got anything to do with the lodgings," said Dick. "Tell 'em
to call again."
"Oh, but please will you come and show the lodgings?" returned the girl;
"it's eighteen shillings a week, and us finding plate and linen. Boots
and clothes is extra, and fires in winter-time is eightpence a day."
"Why don't you show 'em yourself? You seem to know all about 'em," said
Dick.
"Miss Sally said I wasn't to, because people wouldn't believe the
attendance was good if they saw how small I was, first."
"Well, but they'll see how small you are afterwards, won't they?" said
Dick.
"Ah! but then they'll have taken 'em for a fortnight certain," replied
the child, with a shrewd look; "and people don't like moving when
they're once settled."
"This is a queer sort of thing," muttered Dick, rising. "What do you
mean to say you are--the cook?"
"Yes; I do plain cooking," replied the child. "I'm housemaid too. I do
all the work of the house."
Just then certain sounds on the passage and staircase seemed to denote
the applicant's impatience. Richard Swiveller, therefore, hurried out to
meet and treat with the single gentleman.
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