"Stand back, can't you; stand back and give her air."
"Give 'oo air? You keep your'n on," said an on-looker, elbowing him back.
"Why, it's a girl, isn't it? At least, they told me so," said the officious man. "Why do people push so? There's absolutely nothing to get excited about."
"Girl, I dessay. But she's in that house over there."
"Most extraordinary thing," said a tradesman, who was standing in his doorway. "That house is unoccupied. Been empty for three weeks or more."
"And they've only just found the poor girl inside," exclaimed the officious man. "Well, of all the useless, incompetent people in the world, I really do think the London police bear away the palm. And why on earth don't they keep the crowd away? Where are the police? Here, someone go and call a constable."
No one showed any desire to resign his point of view; and the cabs going town-wards in a hurry turned down a side street to save time.
"'Ear that, Emmer?" said a woman in a shawl, who was standing in a group of dishevelled companions. "The poor gal's been lyin' in that empty 'ouse for three weeks; ain't it a shime?"
"Ah, it's jest like 'em," said another, vaguely.
"Well, I ain't what yer might call soft-'earted," said the first, "but think of me livin' 'andy all that time, and the pore girl——"