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'Yes,' said the Marchioness, 'and they've been a tizing of me.'
'Been - I beg your pardon,' said Dick - 'what have they been doing?'
'Been a tizing of me - tizing you know - in the newspapers,' rejoined
the Marchioness.
'
Aye, aye,' said Dick, 'advertising?'
The small servant nodded, and winked. Her eyes were so red with
waking and crying, that the Tragic Muse might have winked with
greater consistency. And so Dick felt.
'Tell me,' said he, 'how it was that you thought of coming here.'
'Why, you see,' returned the Marchioness, 'when you was gone, I
hadn't any friend at all, because the lodger he never come back, and I
didn't know where either him or you was to be found, you know. But
one morning, when I was-'
'
Was near a keyhole?' suggested Mr Swiveller, observing that she
faltered.
'
Well then,' said the small servant, nodding; 'when I was near the
office keyhole - as you see me through, you know - I heard somebody
saying that she lived here, and was the lady whose house you lodged
at, and that you was took very bad, and wouldn't nobody come and
take care of you. Mr Brass, he says, ‘It's no business of mine,’ he says;
and Miss Sally, she says, ‘He's a funny chap, but it's no business of
mine;’ and the lady went away, and slammed the door to, when she
went out, I can tell you. So I run away that night, and come here, and
told 'em you was my brother, and they believed me, and I've been here
ever since.'
'This poor little Marchioness has been wearing herself to death!' cried
Dick.
'
No I haven't,' she returned, 'not a bit of it. Don't you mind about me. I
like sitting up, and I've often had a sleep, bless you, in one of them
chairs. But if you could have seen how you tried to jump out o'
winder, and if you could have heard how you used to keep on singing
and making speeches, you wouldn't have believed it - I'm so glad
you're better, Mr Liverer.'
'
Liverer indeed!' said Dick thoughtfully. 'It's well I am a liverer. I
strongly suspect I should have died, Marchioness, but for you.'
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