at a good pace; now she accommodated
her steps to those of her companion. Her tall shapely figure made that
of the old man look very decrepit. When he had anything of importance
to say, Mr. Boddy came to a stand, and Lydia would bend a little
forward, listening to him so attentively that she was quite unaware of
the glances of those who passed by. So they got to the foot of Lambeth
Bridge.

'We mustn't go too far,' Lydia said, 'or you'll be tired, grandad.
Suppose we walk a little way along the Embankment. It's too cold, I'm
afraid, to sit down. But isn't it nice to have sunshine? How that child
must be enjoying herself, to be sure! She was almost crazy yesterday
morning before she got off; I'm certain she didn't sleep not two hours
in the night. It's very kind of that lady to keep her, isn't it? But
everybody is kind to Thyrza, they can't help being.'

'No more they can, Lyddy; no more they can. But there's somebody else
as I want to see enjoying herself a little. When 'll your turn come for
a bit of a holiday, my dear? You work year in year out, and you're so
quiet over it any one 'ud forget as you wanted a rest just like other
people.'

'We shall see, grandad. Wait till the summer comes, and Thyrza's well
settled down, and then who knows but you and me may run away together
for a day at the seaside! I'm going to be rich, because they won't let
me pay anything for my room. We'll keep that as a secret to ourselves.'

'Well, well,' said the old man, chuckling from sheer pleasure in her
affection, 'there's no knowin'. I'd like to go to the seaside once
more, and I'd rather you was with me than any one else. We always find
something to talk about, I think, Lyddy. And 'taint with everybody I
care to talk nowadays. It's hard to find people as has the same
thoughts. But you and me, we remember together, don't we, Lyddy? Now,
do _you_ remember one night as there come a soldier into the shop, a
soldier as wanted to buy--'

'A looking-glass!' Lydia exclaimed. 'I know! I remember!'

'A looking-glass! And when he'd paid for it, he took up his stick an'
smashed the glass right in the middle, then walked off with it under
his arm!'

'Why, what years it must be since I thought of that, grandad! And I ran
away, frightened!'

'I was frightened myself too. And we never could understand it! Last
night, when I was lying awake, that soldier came back to me, and I
laughed so; and I thought, I'll ask Lyddy to-morrow if she rememb