"Here!"
"Oh!" said Mr. Swiveller.
With that he fell down flat again, as suddenly as if he had been shot.
Thus he remained until she had finished her meal, when being propped up
again he opened a further conversation.
"And so," said Dick, "you have run away?"
"Yes," said the Marchioness; "and they've been a 'tising of me."
"Been--I beg your pardon," said Dick. "What have they been doing?"
"Been a 'tising of me--'tising, you know, in the newspapers," rejoined
the Marchioness.
"Aye, aye," said Dick, "Advertising?"
The small servant nodded and winked.
"Tell me," continued Richard, "how it was that you thought of coming
here?"
"Why, you see," returned the Marchioness, "when you was gone, I hadn't
any friend at all, and I didn't know where you was to be found, you
know. But one morning, when I was near the office keyhole I heard
somebody saying that she lived here, and was the lady whose house you
lodged at, and that you was took very bad, and wouldn't nobody come and
take care of you. Mr. Brass, he says, 'It's no business of mine,' he
says; and Miss Sally she says, 'He's a funny chap, but it's no business
of mine;' and the lady went away. So I run away that night, and come
here, and told 'em you was my brother, and I've been here ever since."
"This poor little Marchioness has been wearing herself to death!" cried
Dick.
"No, I haven't," she replied, "not a bit of it.
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