o chairs in the room; the table had to be placed so
that the bed could serve for sitting. Tablecloth there was none; when
friends did her the honour of coming to tea, Totty spread a newspaper.
The tea-service was, to say the least, primitive; four cups there were,
but only two saucers survived, and a couple of teaspoons had to be
shared harmoniously. No one ever gave a thought to such trifles at
Totty Nancarrow's.

Whilst the kettle boiled, Annie West provided diversion of a literary
kind. She had recently purchased a little book in cover of yellow
paper, which, for the sum of one penny, purported to give an exhaustive
description of 'Charms, Spells, and Incantations;' on the back was the
picture of a much-bejewelled Moorish maiden, with eyes thrown up in
prophetic ecstasy; above ran the legend, 'Wonderfully mysterious and
peculiar.' The work included, moreover, 'a splendid selection of the
best love songs.'

'It's cheap at a penny,' was Miss West's opinion.

She began by reading out an infallible charm for the use of maidens who
would see in dreams their future husband. It was the 'Nine-key Charm.'

''Get nine small keys, they must all be your own by begging or purchase
(borrowing will not do, nor must you tell what you want them for),
plait a three-plaited band of your own hair, and tie them together,
fastening the ends with nine knots. Fasten them with one of your
garters to your left wrist on going to bed, and bind the other garter
round your head; then say:

St. Peter, take it not amiss,
To try your favour I've done this.
You are the ruler of the keys,
Favour me, then, if you please;
Let me then your influence prove,
And see my dear and wedded love.

This must be done on the eve of St. Peter's, and is an old charm used
by the maidens of Rome in ancient times, who put great faith in it.''

'When is the eve of St. Peter's?' asked Tilly Roach. 'Totty, you're a
Catholic, you ought to know.'

'Don't bother me with your rubbish!' cried Totty.

'It ain't rubbish at all,' retorted Annie West. 'Now didn't you see
your husband, Loo, with a card charm before you'd ever really set eyes
on him?'

'Course I did,' assented Mrs. Allchin, aged fifteen.

'Here's another book I'm going to get,' pursued Annie, referring to an
advertisement on the cover. 'It tells you no end of things--see here!'
'How to bewitch your enemies,' 'How to render yourself invisible,' 'How
to grow young again,' 'How to read sealed