Right as can be. Don't you get excited, and I will tell you all about
it."

"You are very kind, David," said Matilda, trying to be quiet; but there
were two pink spots on her pale cheeks.

"The carpet was down, and made the place look like another thing. Then
Mrs. Leary had brightened up the bureau and the chairs and table, and
blacked the stove and made a fire. It seemed quite like a home waiting
for somebody. Mrs. Leary folded her arms, and made me take notice what
she had done, and 'expicted I would consider it,' she said."

"Expected you would consider it?" said Matilda.

"Yes. Don't you know what that means? Expected I would pay her for her
trouble."

"Ah!" said Matilda. "Did you?"

"Yes, of course. But I made her make up the bed and fill the kettle
before she had done. 'An' sure it was iligant, and fit for society,'
she said; whatever that meant."

"Fit for company, I suppose, David. But who made the coffee?"

"Wait a bit: I'm coming to that. I was in a puzzle about it; for I
wasn't sure of Mrs. Leary, and Norton and I didn't know enough."

"Norton? was Norton there?"

"To be sure; at first. He and I got everything else together. Mrs.
Leary had washed the china and the tin ware; and we bought cheese, and
tea and coffee, and herring, and buns, and gingerbread."

"And bread?" said Matilda, looking in tensely interested.

"No; buns. And soap we ordered in too, Tilly; Norton is great on soap.
I should never have thought of it. And when we had done all we could
think of, we sat down to watch the fire and guard the things till some
body came. And we got talking about something else and forgot where we
were; when all of a sudden the door pushed softly open and a girl came
in--"

"Sarah!" cried Matilda.

"Wait. There came in this girl, and stood there, looking. And we
looked. 'Is this Mrs. Leary's?' she asked. 'No,' said I; 'the rest of
the house is. Mrs. Leary's, I believe; but this room belongs to Mrs.
Staples.' 'And you're Sarah, aren't you?' Norton cried out. I wish you
had seen the girl, Tilly! She came a little way further in, and stopped
and looked round, and had all the work in the world to keep herself
from breaking down and crying. Her face flushed all over. She wanted to
know if we were sure if there was no mistake? So I told her about you,
and how you were sick, and how you had commissioned us to get ready all
these things; and Norton shewed her where to hang her bonnet and shawl;
for she was