“Now, now, Victoria—you are descending to scandal!”
“Perhaps I am—and again, perhaps I ain’t. Who’d be writing to her from Wormwood Scrubbs Prison but her own relations—garn! D’yer think——”
“Now, now, Victoria!”
Victoria prepared to depart, but hesitated at the door:
“If Master Oliver’s a-wantin’ of anythink, lady, jest you put yer ’ead over the rail and ’owl for it,” said she. Loud sniff. “It’s no good being backward and modest in this ’ouse—nor, for that, in this dirty city.... They——”
There was a furious ringing of a bell below, and the racket was followed by an irritable yell:
“Victoria—May—Yall—liss!”
Victoria May Alice sniffed:
“My eye!” said she—“she’ll thump my ’ed when I go down!” And yelling where she stood: “Yes—marm—I’m a-coming!” she turned to Caroline and added in a confidential whisper: “No, lidy—it’s no gain being backward and modest. She don’t understand it, bless yer. Thinks you’re weak—or can’t pay yer bill. And, bless yer, lidy, I don’t a-mind a-carryin’ up of the scuttles—not to this floor.”
Caroline nodded anxiously: