hand at drawing caricatures of Miss Brass with a pen and ink,

whistling very cheerfully all the time.

He was occupied in this diversion when a coach stopped near the

door, and presently afterwards there was a loud double-knock. As this

was no business of Mr Swiveller's, the person not ringing the office

bell, he pursued his diversion with perfect composure,

notwithstanding that he rather thought there was nobody else in the

house.

In this, however, he was mistaken; for, after the knock had been

repeated with increased impatience, the door was opened, and

somebody with a very heavy tread went up the stairs and into the

room above. Mr Swiveller was wondering whether this might be

another Miss Brass, twin sister to the Dragon, when there came a

rapping of knuckles at the office door.

'Come in!' said Dick. 'Don't stand upon ceremony. The business will

get rather complicated if I've many more customers. Come in!'

'Oh, please,' said a little voice very low down in the doorway, 'will you

come and show the lodgings?'

Dick leant over the table, and descried a small slipshod girl in a dirty

coarse apron and bib, which left nothing of her visible but her face

and feet. She might as well have been dressed in a violin-case.

Why, who are you?' said Dick.

To which the only reply was, 'Oh, please will you come and show the

lodgings?'

There never was such an old-fashioned child in her looks and manner.

She must have been at work from her cradle. She seemed as much

afraid of Dick, as Dick was amazed at her.

I hav'n't got anything to do with the lodgings,' said Dick. 'Tell 'em to

call again.'

Oh, but please will you come and show the lodgings,' returned the

girl; 'It's eighteen shillings a week and us finding plate and linen.

Boots and clothes is extra, and fires in winter-time is eightpence a

day.'

'Why don't you show 'em yourself? You seem to know all about 'em,'

said Dick.

The Old Curiosity Shop