little creature smiling. "Oh so peaceful and
so thankful! And you hear the people, who are alive, crying and working
and calling to one another in the close dark streets and you seem to
pity them so! And such a chain has fallen from you, and such a strange,
good, sorrowful happiness comes upon you!"

Her eyes fell upon the old man, who, with his hands folded, quietly
looked on.

"Why, it was only just now," said the little creature, pointing at him,
"that I fancied I saw him come out of his grave! He toiled out at that
low door, so bent and worn, and then he took his breath, and stood
upright and looked all around him at the sky, and the wind blew upon
him, and his life down in the dark was over!--Till he was called back to
life," she added, looking round at Fledgeby with that lower look of
sharpness, "Why did you call him back? But you are not dead, you know,"
said Jenny Wren. "Get down to life!"

Mr. Fledgeby seemed to think it a rather good suggestion, and with a nod
turned round and took his leave. As Mr. Riah followed him down the
stairs, the little creature called out to the Jew in a silvery tone,
"Don't be gone long. Come back and be dead!" And still as they went
down, they heard the little sweet voice, more and more faintly, half
calling and half singing, "Come back and be dead. Come back and be
dead!" And as the old man again mounted, the call or song began to
sound in his ears again, and looking above, he saw the face of the
little creature looking down out of the glory of her long, bright,
radiant hair, and musically repeating to him like a vision:

"Come up and be dead! Come up and be dead!"

Not long after this, there came a heavy trial to the dolls' dressmaker
in the loss from her home of her friend and lodger, Lizzie Hexam.
Lizzie, having disagreed with her brother upon a subject of vital
interest to herself, and having an intense desire to escape from persons
whom she knew would pursue her so long as she remained in London, felt
it wisest to quietly disappear from the city, leaving no trace of her
whereabouts. With the help of Mr. Riah she accomplished this, and found
occupation in a paper-mill in the country, leaving poor Jenny Wren with
only the slight consolation of her letters, and with the aged Jew for
her sole counsellor and friend. He was frequently with Jenny Wren, often
escorting her upon her necessary trips, in returning her fine ladies to
their homes in various parts of the city, and som