ad swept Mrs. Eldridge's
floor yesterday. The place looked so much the more decent; though as it
was, Norton cast his eyes around him whistling low, and Matilda knew
well enough that he regarded it as a very odd place for either himself
or Pink to find themselves in.

"What's to be done now?" he inquired of her, as she was putting the
bread and matches on a shelf of the cupboard.

"The first thing is to make a fire, Norton. I've got wood enough here.
And the matches."

"_You_ have got," said Norton, stooping to fetch out the sticks from
the lower cupboard where Matilda had stowed them. "Did you get it?
Where did you get it?"

"Mr. Swain split it up for me,--at the iron shop, you know."

"Did you go to the iron shop for it? And bring it back yourself?"

"There was nobody else to do it," said Matilda.

"You're a brick!" said Norton. "That's what I said. But is this all,
Pink?"

"It is plenty, Norton."

"Plenty for to-day. It won't last for any more. What then?"

"I don't know," said Matilda. "O Norton, are _you_ going to make the
fire?"

Norton showed that such was his intention, and showed besides that he
knew very well what he was about. Matilda, after looking on admiringly,
ran off to the pump with her kettle. The pump was at some distance;
before she could fill her kettle and come back, Norton overtook her. He
quietly assumed the tea-kettle, as a matter of course.

"Oh, thank you, Norton! how good you are," Matilda exclaimed. "It was
heavy."

"Look here. Do you come here to do this sort of thing all by yourself?"
said Norton.

"I cannot help that," said Matilda. "And I like to do it, too."

"You mustn't," said Norton.

"Who will, then, Norton? And the poor old woman cannot do anything for
herself."

"Isn't there somebody in the world to take care of her?"

"No; nobody."

"That's a shame. And I don't believe it, either."

"Oh, but there is nobody, Norton. She is quite alone. And if some one
will not help her, she must go without everything."

Norton said no more, but he looked very much disgusted with this state
of society. He silently watched what Matilda was doing, without putting
in any hinderance or hinting at any annoyance further, which, she
thought, was very good of him. Instead of that, he looked after the
fire, and lifted the kettle when it was needful. Matilda, as yesterday,
made the tea, and spread bread and butter, and cooked a herring; and
then had the satisfaction of seeing th