Poor Helps found the smell from the kitchen very appetising.
"Afterwards, when you come back. Everything good when you come back. Now, do come. It is so important."
She almost dragged him away. Cherry heard the house door bang after the two.
"Well, I'm done," she exclaimed! "See if I'll cook for nobody another time."
Esther and her father found an omnibus at the corner of their street. In a little over half-an-hour they were in Commercial Road; a few minutes later they found themselves in the large barn-like building which was devoted to this particular mission.
The ground floor consisted of one huge room, which was already packed with hungry-looking men and half-grown boys.
"Stand near the door," said Esther, giving her father explicit directions. "Don't stay where the light will fall on your face. Stand where you can look but can't be seen."
"You don't want me to be a spy, child. What is the meaning of all this?"
"You can put any meaning you like on it. Only do what I tell you. I want you to watch the men as they come in and out of the room. Watch them all; don't let one escape you. Stay until the meeting is over. Then tell me afterwards if there is any one here whom you know."
"What is the girl up to?" muttered Helps.