once because he would want, as he said, "to tire her out."
"To tire her out!" She laughed at that. She looked about the room and
decided how she would improve it. She nodded to herself. Yes, and the
bedroom too. All this time she was so happy that she could scarcely
prevent herself from singing aloud.

She went out, down the dark stairs, and found the maid, under a
swinging candle-flame, still scrubbing. How strange that in that short
space of time, when the whole of life had altered for her, that girl
had been on her knees scrubbing!

"Could you tell me, please," she asked, "whether I could see somebody
who is in charge of this house--the landlady or--"

"Is there anything I can do?" said a voice behind her.

She turned to find a short stout woman in voluminous black--black
bonnet, black cape, black gloves--watching her with sharp bright eyes.

"Are you the landlady?" Maggie asked.

"I ham," said the woman. "Mrs. Brandon--ma'am."

The servant-girl had suspended operations, kneeling up and watching
with open mouth developments.

"I'm very glad to meet you," said Maggie. "How do you do?"

"How do you do, ma'am?" said Mrs. Brandon.

"The point is just this," said Maggie, speaking rather fast as though
she were confused, which she was not. "Mr. Warlock is a very old friend
of mine and I'm afraid he's very ill indeed. He's very ill and there's
nobody to look after him. What I was wondering was whether there was a
bedroom in your house that I could have--so that I could look after
him, you see, and get him anything he wants."

Mrs. Brandon overlooked Maggie from head to foot--very slowly she did
it, her eyes passing over the rather shabby black hat, the short hair,
the plain black dress, the shoes worn and soiled. She also looked at
Maggie's wedding-ring.

"Well, Mrs.--" she began.

"Mrs. Trenchard is my name," said Maggie, blushing in spite of herself
at the long scrutiny.

"I 'ope you're not reproaching anybody with neglect of the gentleman."
She had an action, as she talked, of flinging a very seedy-looking
black boa back across her neck vindictively. "Wot I mean to say is that
gentleman lodgers must take their chance and e's two weeks overdue with
'is rent as it is ... but of course I'm not saying I couldn't oblige.
'E's a nice gentleman too, although not talkative so to speak, but if
it would give 'im 'appiness to 'ave a lady friend close at 'and as you
might say, why I wouldn't like to be one to stand