"But aren't you going to eat any of it?"
"No, 'm," with solemnity. "But you must.... I'll just taste this white part," she added, picking up a bit of icing from the desk.
The married pair ate.
"I think I'll go now, 'm, if you'll excuse me," said Elsie. "But I'll just sweep up in the shop here first." She was standing in the doorway.
They heard her with hand-brush and dustpan collecting the scattered food of the Orient. She peeped in at the door again.
"Good night, 'm. Good night, sir." She saluted them with a benignant grin in which was a surprising little touch of naughtiness. And then they heard her receding footfalls as she ascended cautiously the dark flights of stairs and entered into her inviolable private life on the top floor.
"It would never have done not to eat it," said Violet.
"No," Henry agreed.
"She's a wonder, that girl is! You could have knocked me down with a feather."
"Yes."