In the morning, there was a thump on his bedroom door, and before he
had had time to consider what he should do, the door opened and a girl
entered, carrying a tray. "Eight o'clock," she said, "an' 'ere's your
breakfast! Aunt said you'd better 'ave it in bed 'smornin', after your
journey!"
She set the tray down on the table so carelessly that she spilled some
of the contents of the coffee-pot.
"Aunt forgot to ask would you have tea or coffee, so she sent up
coffee. Mr. 'Inde always 'as coffee, so she thought you would, too! An'
there's a 'addick. Mr. 'Inde likes 'addick. It ain't a bad fish!"
John looked at her as she arranged the table. Her abrupt entry into the
room, while he was in bed, startled him. No woman, except his mother,
had ever been in his bedroom before, and it horrified him to think that
this strange young woman could see him sitting in his nightshirt in
bed. He had never in his life seen so untidy a woman as this. Her hair
had been hastily pinned together in a shapeless lump on the top of her
head, and loose ends straggled from it. Her dress was _on_ her ...
that was certain ... but _how_ it was on her was more than he
could understand. She seemed to bristle with safety-pins!...
Her total lack of shame, in the presence of a man, undressed and in
bed, caused him to wonder whether she was one of the Bad Women against
whom Mr. McCaughan had so solemnly warned him. If she, were, the
warning was hardly necessary!...
"I think you got everythink?" she said briskly, glancing over the table
to see that nothing was missing.
He saw now that, she bore some facial resemblance to Miss Squibb. She
was not, as that lady was, ashen-hued, but her eyes, though less
prominently, bulged. This must be Lizzie!...
"Who are you?" he asked, as she turned to leave the room. "Eih?"
"What's your name? I've not seen you before!"
"Naow," she exclaimed, "I've been awy! I'm Lizzie. 'Er niece!"
She nodded her head towards the door, and he interpreted this to mean
Miss Squibb.
"Oh, yes," he said. "She told me about you. Were you very late last
night?"