? Ah, an' such singin' as I never heard afore. I've never been
inside, it's far too fine fur the likes o' me, but the windows are
sometimes open an' I've listened an' paid nothin' fur it neither."

"I want to sing in that room, Mrs. Higgins. If I had a chance I believe
I could please the fine gentlemen and their ladies and earn some
money."

Betty Higgins stared aghast.

"What are ye a-talkin' about, child? _You_ sing? Where's your silk gown,
your lace, your furbelows to come from?"

"I don't know, but I think something might be contrived."

Lavinia had Mrs. Houghton, who had been the leading lady in "The Orphan"
and in "The Wits," in her mind. Mrs. Houghton was very friendly towards
her and had no end of fine dresses.

"Oh, but singin'. Goodness me, child, you haven't heard 'em in the Great
Room, all tralalas and twists and turns up and down, sometimes soft as a
mouse and sometimes so loud as 'ud a'most wake the dead. I'd like to
hear ye do all that, not mind ye, as I understand what it means, but its
pure grand."

"I'll sing something to you Betty that you _can_ understand. What of 'My
lodging, it is on the Cold Ground.' Would you like to hear that?"

"Wouldn't I! My mother was maid to Mistress Moll Davies, as King Charles
was mad over, though for the matter o' that he was always a runnin'
after the women. Anyway, it was that song and the way Moll sung it as
won his heart. Ah, them days is past an' I'm afeared as I mustn't speak
well of 'em or I'd be called a 'Jack,' clapped into Newgate or sent to
Bridewell and lashed. But give me 'Lodging on the Cold Ground' an' I'll
tell ye what I think. But I warn ye, mother copied Mrs. Davies an' 'll
know how it ought to be sung."

Lavinia laughed to herself. She was quite sure if she could satisfy Mr.
Gay and Dr. Pepusch she could please Betty Higgins.

"Them old songs," went on Betty, warming to her subject, "touches the
'eart and makes the tears come. But you don't hear 'em at the fine
concerts. I'll go bail as there beant a woman now-a-days as can make a
man fall in love with her 'cause of her singin'."

"I wonder," said Lavinia musingly.

"Well now, let me take in the clothes an' we'll have a dish o' tea an' a
bite and then you shall sing your song."

"Yes, and I'll help you with the clothes."

Lavinia's offer pleased Betty, and the two were soon busy pulling the
various garments and bits of drapery from the lines and gathering from
the grass others that had