"And bread and butter?"
"Yes, and bread and butter too," said Matilda, nodding her little head positively. Norton looked at her with a perfectly grave face.
"It must be a very odd house," said he, "I don't see how you can be so sure of things."
Matilda began to walk on towards the corner.
"Who took her tea and bread and butter?" said Norton. "I suppose you know, if you know the rest."
"Of course, somebody must have done it," said Matilda, hesitating.
"I wonder if there was a Pink anywhere among the things," said Norton. "Did you see anything of it?"
Matilda could not help laughing, and they both laughed; and so they went into Mr. Forshew's shop. It was a little, low shop, just on the corner; but, to be sure, there was a great variety, and a good collection of things there. All sorts of iron things, and a great many sorts of tin things; with iron dust, and street dust, plentifully overlying the shop and everything in it. Stoves were there in variety; chains, and brooms, and coal-skuttles; coffee-mills, and axes, and lamps; tin pails, and earthen batter jars; screws, and nails, and hinges, and locks; and a telegraph operator was at work in a corner. Several customers were there too; Matilda had to wait.
"It is odd now," said Norton. "I suppose, if I wanted to spend money here, I should buy everything else in the world but a tea-kettle. That's what it is to be a girl."
"Nonsense!" said Matilda, and the set of her head was inimitable. Norton laughed.