"I bought six pennyworth."
"What should I do without you, love?" sighed her mother.
By dint of great exertion the little dinner was cooked, and served to Mr. Benson's satisfaction. He, manlike, had not the slightest idea of the difficulties which had beset his obliging landlady; or that, though the hunger of Lisa and the boys had been assuaged with thick bread and butter in the intervals of work, Mrs. Denham and Agnes had not been able to spare time for food, and were sinking for want of it at nine o'clock.
"You must have a nice cup of coffee now, mamma," said Agnes. "I made enough when I sent it up to the gentlemen. And here is a bit of fowl which I slipped into the oven to keep hot."
"You must take some too, Agnes."
"I'll have mine when I come down. Cicely has never been put to bed, she is asleep on the parlour floor."
She set her mother down by the kitchen fire to take her supper, and carried off the baby, now asleep, as well as the little girl.
Coming down from putting them to bed, she remembered that Miss Mason's tea-tray had never been removed, and stepped in to take it down.
"I am so sorry," said she, "that you should have been neglected, Miss Mason. Mr. Benson has company, and gave us very short notice of what he wanted, so we have been rather busy."
"My dear," said the kind-hearted Miss Mason, "you look fit to drop."