t spanked by the Brute, but
didn't care a rap, because that brought me double allowance o' coddlin'
from Aunt Georgie. One day the Brute drove me into town in the
market-cart; set me down in the middle of a street, and drove away, an'
I haven't seen him, nor Aunt Georgie, nor Merry from that day to this."

"Dear me!" exclaimed George Aspel, rather shocked at this sudden and
unexpected termination of the narrative; "do you mean to say--"

"It strikes me," interrupted Pax, looking pointedly at the door, "that
you've got another visitor."

Aspel turned and saw the dishevelled curls and pretty face of Tottie
Bones in the doorway.

"Please, sir," she said, entering, "I didn't like to interrupt you, but
Miss Lillycrop sent me to say that there was a strange smell of singein'
in the 'ouse, an' would Mr Aspel be so kind as to come and try to find
out where it was, as she didn't understand such things."

"Smell of singeing, child!" exclaimed Aspel, rising at once and putting
on his coat and hat. "Did you search for the cause, especially about
your kitchen fireplace?"

"O yes, sir," exclaimed Tottie, "an' we couldn't see no cause at all--
only the flue seemed to be 'otter than usual. We looked all over the
'ouse too, but couldn't see nothink--but we could feel a most drefful
smell."

Desiring Mrs Murridge to call Mr Blurt to attend to the shop, George
Aspel hurried out.

"Don't try to keep up with us," said Aspel to Tottie; "I must run. It
may be fire!"

"Oh! please, sir, don't leave me behind," pleaded the child.

"All right--we won't; kitch hold of my hand; give the other to Mr
Aspel," said Peter Pax.

Holding on to her two friends, Tottie was swept along the streets at a
rate which she had never before experienced--at least not as a
foot-passenger,--and in a few minutes they were in Miss Lillycrop's
dwelling.

That excellent lady was in a state of dreadful perturbation, as well she
might be, for the house was filled with a thin smoke of very peculiar
odour.

Few persons except the initiated are fully alive to the immense
importance of checking fire at its commencement. The smoke, although
not dense enough to attract the attention of people outside, was
sufficiently so to make those inside commence an anxious search, when
they should have sent at once for the fire-engine.

Three families occupied the tenement. Miss Lillycrop's portion was at
the top. A dealer in oils and stores of a miscellaneous and u