it too." And to think of
his taking you for Miss Dolly, and Miss Dolly for your sister--Oh, my
goodness me, if I was master wouldn't I be jealous of him!'

Mrs Varden reproved her handmaid for this vain-speaking; but very gently
and mildly--quite smilingly indeed--remarking that she was a foolish,
giddy, light-headed girl, whose spirits carried her beyond all bounds,
and who didn't mean half she said, or she would be quite angry with her.

'For my part,' said Dolly, in a thoughtful manner, 'I half believe Mr
Chester is something like Miggs in that respect. For all his politeness
and pleasant speaking, I am pretty sure he was making game of us, more
than once.'

'If you venture to say such a thing again, and to speak ill of people
behind their backs in my presence, miss,' said Mrs Varden, 'I shall
insist upon your taking a candle and going to bed directly. How dare
you, Dolly? I'm astonished at you. The rudeness of your whole behaviour
this evening has been disgraceful. Did anybody ever hear,' cried the
enraged matron, bursting into tears, 'of a daughter telling her own
mother she has been made game of!'

What a very uncertain temper Mrs Varden's was!

Chapter 28

Repairing to a noted coffee-house in Covent Garden when he left the
locksmith's, Mr Chester sat long over a late dinner, entertaining
himself exceedingly with the whimsical recollection of his recent
proceedings, and congratulating himself very much on his great
cleverness. Influenced by these thoughts, his face wore an expression
so benign and tranquil, that the waiter in immediate attendance upon him
felt he could almost have died in his defence, and settled in his own
mind (until the receipt of the bill, and a very small fee for very great
trouble disabused it of the idea) that such an apostolic customer was
worth half-a-dozen of the ordinary run of visitors, at least.

A visit to the gaming-table--not as a heated, anxious venturer, but
one whom it was quite a treat to see staking his two or three pieces in
deference to the follies of society, and smiling with equal benevolence
on winners and losers--made it late before he reached home. It was his
custom to bid his servant go to bed at his own time unless he had orders
to the contrary, and to leave a candle on the common stair. There was a
lamp on the landing by which he could always light it when he came home
late, and having a key of the door about him he could enter and go to
bed at his ple