“No!”
“Yes. By the coach. Saw he was a tailor in a moment. Wouldn’t stand it if I were you.”
Mrs Pinet, who came to the door with a candle, in answer to a sharp rap with the visitor’s cane, held up her candle above her head, and stared at him for a moment. Then a smile dimpled her pleasant, plump face.
“Why, bless me, sir! how you have changed!” she said.
“You know me again, then?” he said nodding familiarly.
“That I do, sir, and I am glad. You’re the young gentleman Mr Hallam helped just about a year ago.”
“Yes, that’s me. Is he at home?”
“Yes, sir. Will you come this way?”
Mrs Pinet drew back to allow the visitor to enter, closed the door, set down her candle, and then tapped softly on the panel at her right.
“Here’s that gentleman to see you, sir,” she said, in response to the quick “Come in.”