term
of notice. They expire to-morrow. Upon their expiration--not before--I
had meant to set myself right with my Cinderella.'

'My idea is getting so immense now,' cried Miss Wren, clasping her
temples, 'that my head won't hold it! Listen, godmother; I am going to
expound. Little Eyes (that's Screaming-Scratching-Smarter) owes you a
heavy grudge for going. Little Eyes casts about how best to pay you off.
Little Eyes thinks of Lizzie. Little Eyes says to himself, 'I'll find
out where he has placed that girl, and I'll betray his secret because
it's dear to him.' Perhaps Little Eyes thinks, "I'll make love to her
myself too;" but that I can't swear--all the rest I can. So, Little Eyes
comes to me, and I go to Little Eyes. That's the way of it. And now the
murder's all out, I'm sorry,' added the dolls' dressmaker, rigid from
head to foot with energy as she shook her little fist before her eyes,
'that I didn't give him Cayenne pepper and chopped pickled Capsicum!'

This expression of regret being but partially intelligible to Mr Riah,
the old man reverted to the injuries Fledgeby had received, and hinted
at the necessity of his at once going to tend that beaten cur.

'Godmother, godmother, godmother!' cried Miss Wren irritably, 'I really
lose all patience with you. One would think you believed in the Good
Samaritan. How can you be so inconsistent?'

'Jenny dear,' began the old man gently, 'it is the custom of our people
to help--'

'Oh! Bother your people!' interposed Miss Wren, with a toss of her head.
'If your people don't know better than to go and help Little Eyes, it's
a pity they ever got out of Egypt. Over and above that,' she added, 'he
wouldn't take your help if you offered it. Too much ashamed. Wants to
keep it close and quiet, and to keep you out of the way.'

They were still debating this point when a shadow darkened the entry,
and the glass door was opened by a messenger who brought a letter
unceremoniously addressed, 'Riah.' To which he said there was an answer
wanted.

The letter, which was scrawled in pencil uphill and downhill and round
crooked corners, ran thus:

'OLD RIAH,

Your accounts being all squared, go. Shut up the place, turn out
directly, and send me the key by bearer. Go. You are an unthankful dog
of a Jew. Get out.

F.'

The dolls' dressmaker found it delicious to trace the screaming and
smarting of Little Eyes in the distorted writing of this epistle. She
laughed over it and