t turned out, Maidenlemans plan o serain, in time. stay in London for anot least, to do the bindings of his books.
I didnt care mucail of my travelling do t before times o curday nig drop—t ogs; o me, t I recall standing on Battersea Bridge as s, past o all tryside beyond it, t trees
and a d o I , and Mrs Sucksby and Mr Ibbs, and go quite aloo a maids pla a hose dark hills, I should have laughed in your face.
But Gentleman said I must go soon, in case t, by actally taking anoto be . ter o Lant Street and e a letter. y of ing, but to o e demented e of ers daugers daug to be me: tory I my place; t I for anotress, but ed on every side to go to t if only some softed lady uation far ay—and so on.
I said, If sleman, s be even sillier t told us.
But t a rand and Piccadilly, ory, five niged from t, t Miss Maud Lilly likely to be, all alone and uer?
Youll see, ter aion, and to t.
t begin at oo teach me horoper ladys maid should be.
First, ts of t t t curls. If you tur iron, made t er, you
could make t for a , or lentleman, tyle too fast for a try lady: ill it ly smoot once—just t in a plain knot at ty il isfied, cyle, as if us like a regular girl. y and I looked t plain and ba-faced, ures of us in t would be a new way of curdling milk.
y s till ging to t it hissing.
t you do anyto t girl of yours, said Mr Ibbs to Jo make her cry?
Joo see makes the less.
.
But e cauglemans plot, despite time I ever k o be cut, to t brought poke, he shook his head.
t do it, my son. Not to-day. Got a little something cooking.
s of a list t Gentleman before; t. runk, t from a man the river.
trunk o take to try. In tuff dress, more or less my size; and a cloak, and sogs; and on top of it all, a e uhings.
Mr Ibbs only undid tring at t and sat at tcimes to take apart, and po back togetleman, ook out tems one by one, and placed t upon table. Beside table a kit chair.
Noart ogs and dra mean, shes naked?
Dainty put o ittered. Sting at Mrs Sucksbys feet, having her hair re-curled.
Naked? said Gentleman. else? S take off take to bat o receive t o pass her her fresh ones.
I t of t o o stand and o a strange bare girl. A strange bare girl Street, o, and I o grab leman sa say youre squeamish?
I tossed my o s. ook up a pair of togs, and t of t chair.
? he asked me.
I shrugged. her shimmy, I suppose.
call it, make sure to , before ss it on.
ook t close to tc it carefully above t.
Noo tie tigs see you do it.
t about t to fast, he made me pull
t t lines of red and we upon my palms, as if I had been whipped.
says t fasten at t, like a regular girl? said Dainty, g.
Because tleman, s need a maid. And if s need a maid, s know she was a lady. hey? he winked.
After t came a camisole, and after t a dicky; tticoats, time of silk. tleman y run upstairs for a bottle of Mrs Sucksbys st, and .
And all time I must say:
ill you raise your arms, miss, for me this frill? and,
Do you care for it, miss, h a ruffle or a flounce? and,
Are you ready for it now, miss?
Do you like it draight?
S to be tighter?-
Oh! Five me if I pinch.
At last, as a pig. Miss Lilly sat before us tied ticoats spread out about t rating, of course, about the neck.
Jo say muc us all time, o his Bramah.
Sleman, stroking urally s so teac you, darling?
ted at ts; to t so ly, it looked to me as if ; and as he reached higher his cheek grew
pink, tle, tcs of its legs faintly s ill.
t little bitcly. og. to me, and yas say its bed-time.
Joill cy rubbed offee.
I began at t t of t loose t and eased it free.
ill you just lift your foot, miss, for me to take this from you?
ill you breattle softer, miss? and t will e.
me for an -iron.
Spit on ty? to gave a sizzle ook out a cigarette, and lit it on t base. tood by and smoked, Mrs Sucksby—s, been a mangling- another hour.
tlema me upstairs, to put on t P for me. It cairs again I could one; but Gentleman said it dress for a sneak or for a servant—and so all t for me, o be both.
e laug t; and t to groo t ( Dainty see oe and itd and try a curtsey. t sounds. Say to, it masters: I seyed before to anyone. Noleman had me
dipping up and doil I t I sseying came as natural to ladies maids, as passing rick, I s it—and about t, at least, for I still dip a proper curtsey, even noo.
ell. seys ory. to test me, and before my part, like a girl saying a catechism.
No is your name?
Aint it Susan? I said.
Aint it Susan, w?
Aint it Susan trinder?
Aint it Susan, sir. You must remember, I s be Gentleman to you at Briar. I s call me sir; and you must call Mr Lilly sir; and t call miss or Miss Lilly or Miss Maud, as ss you. And Susan tri may lead to Lant Street if t find you a better sed name—
Valentine, I said, straig I tell you? I een. I s. Gentleman heard me, and curled his lip.
Perfect, to put you on tage.
I knoine! I said.
ts true, said Dainty. Floy Valentine, and ers. Lord, I es t to be named for them, Sue.
I bit my finger. Maybe not.
Certainly not, said Gentleman. A fanciful name mig o everyones notice. e need a over—an untraceable name, yet one c? Lets make it, Smito be a sort of smiter all. t, I mean.
ur, and crooked his middle
finger; and t—fingersmithief, we laughed again.
At last fun, to? Aell me again. is your name?
I said it, er.
Very good. And w is your home?
My London, sir, I said. My moty; o be your nurse when you was a boy, sir.
o detail. Not so good, o style. e . Youre not selling violets. Say it again.
I pulled a face; but then said, more carefully,
t used to be your nurse when you were a boy, sir.
Better, better. And uation, before this?
itely married and about to go to India, o dress need me.
Dear me. You are to be pitied, Sue.
I believe so, sir.
And are you grateful to Miss Lilly, for Briar?
Oitude aint in it!
Violets again! dont my ss good. Noell me tant. are your duties ress?
I must steal it. I must o carry oo , s ts for w be see when she blushes.
Splendid! And w is your cer?
as the day
And , t no-o know?
t s sune; and t you, Mr Rivers, will make mine.
I took s and sseys, my eyes all time on toe of .
Dainty clapped me. Mrs Sucksby rubbed ogether and said,
ty, pass me an infant, I someto squeeze.
Gentleman stepped aside and lit a cigarette. Not bad, bad, at all. A little fining dos needed noer.
Later? I said. Oleman, aint you finis? If Miss Lilly will he sake of pleasing you, why should she care how fined down I am?
S mind, put an apron on C it is not only you aff.
I said, aff? I t of this.
Of course, self? First of all teward, Mr ay—
Mr ay! said Jo. Do they call him Milky?
No, said Gentleman. urned bae. Mr ay, trouble you muc tiles, tudy you a little be careful cable-boys and gardeners—but you s see muc them.
I looked at t t a s, t I so play the maid for?
Mrs Sucksby like dougleman, s looking over. You did keep very dark about ts last night.
ail, he said.
A detail? t you all.
But it oo late no day Gentleman a letter, from Miss Lilly.
it at t-offi ty. Our neig er e to t it, and broug back, and ope o —Mr Ibbs only drumming tle on table-top, by w he was nervous; and so grew more nervous myself.
tter , o e; and ful o lemen ful as him!
on very badly, sant and dull; pero urned. As for leman tilted tter, tter to catc.—As for o be able to tell Agnes looked set not to die after all—
e and dre in t t tleman smiled. t about to die; but s so loo Cork.
God bless taking out his handkerchief and wiping his head.
Gentleman read on.
I so see te. I so me, at once. I am grateful
to anyone for remembering me. I am not over-used to people ts. If so me, Mr Rivers, because so me from London, t .
ter to bad forttered in t of the lamps.
It urned out, of course, just as the clever devil had promised.
t nig o be my last nig Lant Street, and t nigs t to lead to Gentlemans seg of Miss Lillys fortu nig out for a roast supper, and put irons to in tion.
tuffed at te of mine, and got in my ook to tep, put up ooped to s, and I at ts of my s from il it sang; t to Mrs Sucksby and s t. Sleman; t for Joy; and t e parts, for herself and for me.
It , as Ive said, in my , I dont kno; per Mrs Sucksby o eat it, pigs self—o be grimag, rats eyes and tles of its snout gummed broreacly tears—but as about table, I greleman teased, and ly to work on e, and
Mrs Sucksby ly to e.
I gave o Dainty. S to John. he snapped his jaws and howled, like a dog.
Ao make flip. ook to take ting of t off, ting tting fire to to see it done and , like ture in a toy-shop window.
e sat, and everyoalked and laug a fi rat, and no-one seemed to notice. At last Mrs Sucksby patted omad said,
ont you give us a tune, Mr Ibbs, to put to bed by?
Mr Ibbs could tle, for an a go. acarted up arpaulin Jacket. Mrs Sucksby il broken. at sea.—Lost to he Bermudas.
lets , for e maudlis see ters of a dance.
Mr Ibbs struck up uy got up and pusy. til ts upon telpiece jumped and t rose inc t. Gentleman stood and leaned and cte, calling , Jo call, laugo a terrier in a fig on.
o join t. t
made me sneeze and, after all, t ed too by a glass and a plate of morsels of meat for Mr Ibbss sister, and I said I , dear girl, sill clapping out t. I took te and tairs.
It epping out of , to leave our kitcers nig ter ao one or t go back to join ttle o t up t pair of stairs, to ttle attic I had been born in.
tonig rips et on it. t for a bit of blue oil-clot acked to catd. tand, at t, coat and a s, of Gentlemans, and one or t; t cs, t e linen spilling from it. On t of a c, a packet of cigarettes, and sealing-. ttle, like toffee.
t curtain upon it, aken off, for a terpa from a burning ill smelt of ders. I took it up and put it about my s tood at t at t ther was hanged.
t fe upon it, and I o it, to make turn to dirty er. I could still catcle and the bounce of
Daintys feet, but before me treets of t at a ern of a coac t of all t must be trange and ordinary lives—in otreets, in ter parts of London. I t of Maud Lilly, in kno I anding, plotting y arren and Jo.
o make out t t in a fig, , s figty. S from fig ting bad meat. Just o of bad meat killed like t.
But, sleman t to.
I tried a curtain made me clumsy. I tried again. I began to s, in sudden fear.
tcsteps on tair, and t ans again, upon ttic stairs, and t of tle—only a little, for s sout.
Are you ly. And all on your ohe dark?
S all t I —at tlemans boots ahen she
came to me, and put o my c as if sickled or pinc stop—I said:
if I aint up to it, Mrs Sucksby? if I t do it? Suppose I lose my nerve a you doy, after all?
So t and sil it rested in back tain from my croked my hen.
Aint it a long o go? I said, looking up at her face.
Not so far, she answered.
Shere?
Srand of was caug my ear.
Every minute, sly. Aint you my o I you sleman by you. I s you go, for any ordinary villain.
t rue, at least. But still my beat fast. I t again of Maud Lilly, sitting siging for me to e and unlace ays and goy had said.
I c t I to do it, t it a very mean trick, and shabby?
So t, and not given it a t. And I kno also o see you doing it now.
t made me tful. For a minute, and said not I asked Lant Street, amongst all t ever. I said, in a whisper,
Do you t s, Mrs Sucksby, whey drop you?
ill. t started up stroking, sure as before. She said,
I s feel not t your neck. Raticklis.
ticklish?
Say then, pricklish.
Still smoothing.
But it then?
Sed cted, whe drop is opened.
I t of t c. tc, like monkeys on sticks.
But it es t quick at t, s on t I rat take t of it. And o dropping a lady— in suc the quicker?
I looked up at striking made o my s.
tilted er, quite beo e to t, Sue. I s, of all t go, t .
S; and then she winked.
S, and seemed to mean it.
I do sometimes only to be kind.
But I didnt t t loose; and tcime upon tairs, and tys voice.
you ing for a dance? Mr Ibbs old laugh down here.
woke
Mrs Sucksby said t so t bae I did dance, leman as my partner. z-step. igy, and tcleman all time still calling, Go it, Joopping oo rub a bit of butter on o keep tle s.
day, at midday, s of stuff into trunk and . I leman could teacer tory and my ne o be done, and as I sat taking my last meal in t kitc, t ratoo dried, and ging to my gums—Gentleman did it. from e me out a cer.
e it off in a moment. Of course, o faking papers. up for to dry, t out. It began:
to , May fair, reends Miss Susan Smit on like t, I fet t of it, but it sounded all rigo me. flat again and sig in a ladys curling to Mrs Sucksby.
do you t get Sue uation?
But Mrs Sucksby said s o judge it.
You kno, dear boy, she said, looking away.
Of course, if ook Lant Street, it cer tle do e sometimes, to boil to es of to do for us all. e couldnt .
So Mrs Sucksby leman read it time, t me, t and sealed it and put it in my trunk. I s of my dried meat and bread, and fastened my cloak. to say good-bye to. Joy never got up before one. Mr Ibbs o crack a safe at Bo it straig o my fad smiled.
God bless you, Sue! she said. You are making us rich!
But ted from urned ao ears.
take o Gentleman. take let me see it!
And so my so o take me to a cab-stand and drive me to tation at Paddington, and see me on my train.
t so often I got to cross ter, and I said I so o look at t I s t. At t seemed of all. You could see t Pauls, ter; you could see all ty, but not t or made like shadows.
Queer to tleman, peering over t.
e bargained on t made traffic sloo a craer ty mio cat; noepping fast across some great square, , and ter, ahe clap-
pers and t rung t h flan-
nel.
raturn around, I said, and try again tomorrow?
But Gentleman said trap sent out to Marloo meet my train tter be late, , t arrive at all.
But after all, o Paddington at last rains all delayed and made slo like traffic: anotil t tol train—rain as far as Maide off and join anoto be boarded. e stood beig clock, fidgeting and blo lamps t team, it drifted from arco arc very poor. t; t streaked by birds. I t it very gloomy, for so grand a place. And of course, t press of people beside us, all ing and cursing, or jostling by, or letting ts.
Fuck tleman in a oe. ooped to from , traig up a cigarette, turned . tes, as if stained , at t moment, look like a man a girl would go silly over.
obacco, too, rand t o my eye and s forms—e for you and me, soon.
I looked az before; no Street and Mrs Sucksby and Mr Ibbs, amongst all t us, aner, and I o me. And again I almost said t urn round and go I knew
t if I did emper; and so, I did not.
off for a piddle, and I off for a piddle of my oidying my skirts; and out tarted up and sing rusing train. e leman leadio a sed-class coak to took a place beside a out farmer-types. I to see me get on, for of course, me being dressed so and ely, s tell— I beside t by me. tilted and creaked, and back our ared at ts of dust and varnis tumbled from t above.
te and tting aboard I Gentleman. uro talk o the open window and said,
Im afraid you may be very late, Sue. But I trap for you at Marlo . You must it will
I kne o it , a a rush of misery and fear. I said quickly,
e you? And see me to the house?
But ? ypes, tc , and , alking to a girl like me about it.
ter climbed dole, train gave a o move off.
Gentleman lifted up and folloil t up its speed; t up—I sa ba, t up o s to traps; t o t its beak to ts cage. to cry. It cried for half an hour.
Aint you got any gin? I said to t last.
Gin? s so pleased to ting by y bitcer all.
tering bird; and ted; and ts; and types—rain jerk and and arrive at Maidens time, so t I missed one Marlorain and must for t one—, my journey c broug Briar in time to take a servants tea t dinner of bread and dried meat, at noon: it uy gums t I s Maideation t like Paddington, alls and a pastry-cooks stles, and t on my trunk. My eyes stung, from turned a . Dont cry, he said, smiling.
I aint g! I said.
hen asked me my name.
It o flirt in to in to ans at t at t, but ried for an o catcy saying t s on a train once, leman near, and rousers and so ; and s, and he had given her a pound. I wondered
o toucouc, or w.
But the pound, where I was headed!
Any y o spend and kno only sell it on o bury her.
ell, train c if rousers open I never sa last ilted to me and got off. tops after t, and at every one someone else got off, from furtrain; and no-o on. tations greil finally t t a tree—to see anyrees, and beyond t bro sky above it. And about at t, and t a sky naturally could be, train stopped a final time; and t was Marlow.
off save me. I passenger of all. top, and came to lift dorunk. he said,
Youll t carrying. Is to meet you?
I told o be a man rap, to take me up to Briar. rap t came to fetc? t would hree hours before. he looked me over.
e do for Briar. I told rap will have e and gone.
tll ll hree hours back.
I stood and s queer, and t I say it?—tons.
I said, Aint take me?
A cab-man? said ted it to ts a cab-man!
A cab-man!
til took out a Marlow!
Ohe pair of you.
And I caugrunk and to must be t Mr ay kno you. See w ongue down here—!
I t say to do . I did not knoo Briar. I did not even knoo take. London y miles away, and I was afraid of cows and bulls.
But after all, try roads arent like city o four of to tarted to ed up a lantern, to look at my face.
Youll be Susan Smitting after you all day.
ook my trunk and o t beside ruck by t me sartan bla for me to put about my legs.
It o Briar, and ook it at an easy sort of trot, smoking a pipe. I told till somet, even norains.
s London. Knos fogs, aint it? Been muco try before?
Not much, I said.
Been maiding in ty, one? Pretty good, I said.
Rum , for a ladys maid, o France ever?
I took a sed, smoot out over my lap. Once or twice, I said.
S kind of the leg, I mean.
Noo please illiam Inker, Sis so, he said.
tly quiet and perfectly dark, and I imagiolling of a bell—a very mournful sound, it seemed to me at t moment, not like t tolled imes.
ts t in sileer t, and in a little time ook a road t ran beside it. Soon t arc ted a grand enoug not so grand nor so grim perlema. But from me and reak, he said,
ait up, s, o a man t, Mr Mack. You may s te be last.
t ared, saying not it, betrees, t curved as to a kind of o clear a little, on try lanes—gre gre it, damp, upon my face, upon my lashes and lips; and closed my eyes.
tared again. t from betrees into a gravel clearing, and and straigark out of ts ered, and its o ts c I must now call my home.
e did not cross before t, but kept o took up a la sered e fad great black riking across t, illiam Inker pulled tood gazing at us, the cold.
tiles, rap e, said illiam. e crossed to join a little I saer, and t.
to a passage, and to a great, brigc five times tt Street, and s set in roable sat a boy, a me. tudied my bo and t of my cloak. ts trouble myself to study them.
Mrs Stiles said, ell, youre about as late as you could be. Any longer and you so stay at the village. e keep early hours here.
S fifty, e cap quite looking in your eye as so you. S . Plain, old-fashem.
I made sey. I did not say—urned back at Paddington;
t I for ao ime t I rying to get forty miles from Londoo prove t Londo to be left—I did not say t. I said was:
Im sure, Im very grateful t trap at all. t table tittered to turned out—got up a about making me a supper-tray. illiam Inker said,
Miss Smitty fine pla London, Mrs Stiles. And simes in France. iles.
Only one or times, I said. Now everyone would suppose I ing.
S in tiles gave a nod. t table tittered again, and one of t made t tray iles said,
Margaret, you carry to my pantry. Miss Smitake you to w splash your hands and face.
I took to mean t so took me do passage, to anot in it h paper on a spike.
took me to tle room. It e , and a picture of a sailor in a frame, t I supposed er Stiles, gone off to Sea; and anoture, of an angel, doirely in black I presumed iles, gone off to Glory. S and cake my supper. It ton, minced, and bread-and-butter; and you may imagi, being so . As I ate, t I nine. I said, Does t?
Mrs Stiles nodded. All nig t out.
And Miss Lilly? I said, pig crumbs from t does she like?
S her uncle likes, she answered.
then she rearranged her lips. She said,
Youll kno Miss Maud is quite a young girl, for all t sress of t s dont trouble s anso me. I so knoress—but t do as se over my ter. Quite over my t perfectly urns out.
I said, I am sure turn out well.
S staff of servants, to make sure t it does. t ake to it. I dont kno place. I dont kno say. But if you mind my otable-boys, of course, I alking han you help
S on like t for a quarter of an ime, as I ioned, never quite e take my meals, and my underclotea t eapot, s of t ladys maid to pass on to tcicks: to be given to Mr ay. And Mr ay , si to C to Cook.
t Miss Maud leaves in and, oo dry to raise a lathose you may keep.
ell, ts servants for you—altle patdle-ends and soap! If I e felt it before, I k o be in expectations of thousand pounds.
t if I o so my room. But so ask me to be very quiet as , for Mr Lilly liked a silent bear upset, and Miss Maud of like alloful.
So sook up ook up my dle, and s into taircase. ts alake, unless Miss Maud directs you otherwise.
read greer t. At last, o a door, t so my room. Putting urhe handle.
I particularly one, no, since I must er, perer dogs. But tel and, before t it up—runk.
quite tig. lead? I asked Mrs Stiles, t migo anot.
ts to Miss Mauds room, she said.
I said, Miss Maud is there, asleep in her bed?
Per rat Mrs Stiles gave a s just tle.
Miss Maud sleeps very poorly, sly. If s, to go to call out for you, since you are a strao Margaret in a cside sake her
tomorro, you ust be ready to be called in and examined. She said she hoped Miss Maud would find me pleasing. I said I
did, too.
S me, t very softly, but at to put o t , and gree cold: for s once like notron of a gaol. I said, before I could stop myself:
Youre not going to lock me in?
Lock you in? sh a frown. hy should I do
t?
I said I didnt kno me.
I ! I t.
t upon t s maid left ina. It oo dark to see. Mrs Stiles aken my dle do and made great black sened my cloak, but kept it draped about my sravelling; and ten oo late—it sat in my stomac. It en oclock. e laug people o bed before midnig home.
I mig in gaol, I t. A gaol troubled your ears. And to tside, you nearly faio see ables, ill and quiet the land beyond.
I remembered ttering at a t light had shone from.
I opened my trunk, to look at all t I Street—but tticoats and s Gentleman ake. I took off my dress, and for a sed
against my face. t mi I found t Dainty t t t.
I t of t Mrs Sucksby e as strange as I kne o imagiiing it, perirely.
If I of girl, I sainly .
But I ears. I y nig my cloak ba above it, and stood in my stogs and my unbuttoned s t door at t t. I a key on turned. I a and looked—and go and do it? But oe, and stoop to t, a s, no sign of any kind of sleeping or ful girl, or anything.
I raig my ear flat to t-beat, and tig must le in the wood.
Beyond t, tened for a minute, maybe t up. I took off my sers and got into bed: ts damp, like ss of pastry. I put my cloak over tra I mig, if someone came at me in t and I ed to run. You never kne burning. If Mr ay o plain t t ub less, too bad.
Even a ts. till danced about. try ss stayed cold. t clock souen—eleven— eleven—t Street, home.
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