Madame Flirt

o'clock, when as physiologists tell us the vital forces are at their lowest, before it could be said that the city was asleep. And that sleep did not last long. Soon the creaking of mar

and the eating houses and saloop stalls were thronged. The Old Bailey, from its nearness to Smithfield was crowded, and the buxom p

such as Rowlandson loved to depict. She was high coloured, her eyes were deep blue, full and without a trace of softness. Her lips were red and well shaped, her teeth white and even.

o his existence. He might be in the West Indian plantations or the hulks for what s

d so also was a master butcher from Marylebone, who as a rule was received with favour. But the lady was not in an ill temper wi

opened into the kitchen. Mrs. Fenton had constantly to pass in and out and his seat was convenientl

customer with a jerk of the head and a wink to Hannah the wai

e girl contemptuously. "It makes one sick.

put by. There aren't many in the market as does better than him. He's brought up twenty head o' cattle from his farm at Romford an'

sn't much more than half her years a

d be more a match for D

. Why she's that jealous of Lavinia she coul

bly and fixed her e

tter, wench?"

mbling in a fashion which rather belied her words, "or I'd say as I'd just seen M

un outside and s

it could be her. The gir

to do with it?

wall some few yards away a somewhat draggle-tail figure in cloak and hood. Within the hood was L

Miss Lavvy?" cried Hannah, clasping

, Hannah. I wouldn't have come here-I know wh

rcy on us child, they haven'

't get in. I've been robbed of the key. It was inside my ret

t mischief took 'ee there and

any more. I'm tired to death. Take me inside Hannah, or I'll drop. I suppose mother'll be in a f

of six months before at the Bedfordbury coffee shop and she well knew how Lavinia was constantly getting into a scrape, not from viciousness, bu

ooked like a beggar, so pretty and so attractive was she. Six months had developed her into a woman and the training of Miss Pinwell, the pink of gentility, had given her the modish airs of a lady of quality. True, her appearance

coffee house. Customers were clamouring to be served and there was no Hannah to wait upon them. Mrs. Fenton, her eyes flas

half way down the gangway before the lady noticed them. At the sight of her daughter she dropp

's friendly support, hastened towards her astonished mother, anxious to

culated before she had recovered

mother and then her strength failing her for a moment,

Dobson was human. He fell instantly under the spell of those limpid,

haken her head and refused the seat made not the slightest difference. The girl had become surpassingly handsome. Despite

s to escape observation and she darted into the ki

a cupboard led to the upper part of the house. Lavinia guessed as much. She darted to this door, flung it open and

inning, but she could get no further

me. I-the smelling salts! Quick, you

e restorer at which her mistress vigorously sniffed, after sinking, seemingly prostrate, into a chair. Then she fell to fanning her

tchen when necessary to execute her customers' orders. Dir

vinia? Tell me. Every

tell, mistress. Ask her y

bamboozle me

an alive, and I brought her in. I wasn't going t

ray how did you come to

come in 'cause of you, mistress. Give me that dish o' bacon, Betty. T

e stood up to her boldly. Mrs. Fenton was discomfited and Hannah, snatching the dish Betty handed to her,

gh she was dying to know what had brought her daughter home, the story would not spoil by keeping. Besides, though she was in a pet with

lingerers, and Mrs. Fenton went upstairs, eager to empty her vial o

here Hannah slept. Dead with fatigue, mentally and bodily, she had thrown herself dressed as she was on Hannah's bed and in a few minutes was in a heav

ld not deny that the girl was very pretty, but that prettiness gave h

ha' been always dangling after me. With that face she ought to get a rich husband, but I'll warran

o some inches above the small ankles, the mud-stained skirt, the bedraggled cloak saturated for quite a foot of its leng

som of the girl's dress. The next instant she had gently draw

ottom of the business. And a marriage too.

the cloak, and scrutini

. Oh, the little fool! Why, she's worse than I was. I wasn'

avily and smoothed her apron distractedly. Then she looked

y! What could that prim Mistress Pinwell have been about? A fine boarding school indeed! She can't go back. But I won't have her here turning the heads of the men. That dull lout, Bob

elf, and seizing her daughter's shoulder she shook her violently. The girl's tired

to? How is it you're in such a state? Who's been making a fool

uble of pouring out this torrent of questions.

Don't bother me, mother. Let me sleep. I'll tell

I'll know the reason why. And it'll have to be

her eyes she sat up, a rueful and repentant little beauty, but having withal an expression i

ught I was being taken to the Fleet, but when I saw the coach wasn't going the right way I kne

t believe one of 'em," in

the same. I cut my arm with the broke

d out her b

What's become

the window with the heel

ds she told them remarkably well. She spoke without the s

s about. The shooting and yelling went on for a long time and I dursn't stir. I would have taken a wherry but no waterman came near. Then the tide turned; the water came about my feet and I crept up the stairs. I was in

ot think it necessary to mention the

lso pondering over the possible consequences. The story might be true or it might not,

ded sharply. "I see by this scrawl that it isn't the first ti

h she had hitherto concealed, waved it in her daugh

that letter any more t

r you and I'm going to do it. Why didn't you go b

ticule, and that was snatched from me or it sli

l never take you back. Goodness knows what may happen. What'll Mr

down when she thought of the gentle, good-

ch satisfaction and while twirling her weddin

t is he? Some draper's 'prentice, I suppose, or footman, may be out o

her should think she would so bemean herself. "I hate him

ut him. There's no address on

n't te

mselves off as sparks of fashion at ridottos, masquerades and what not and live by robbery and blood money. I warrant I'll soon run

o break her spirit, which indeed was Mrs. Fenton's intention. The worst of it was that after what had happened she had in her secret heart come round to the same op

d what he writes about his father is true, then his father must be made to pay for the injury his son's done you. I suppose he's to

don't want to hear anything more about him or h

u stubborn little fool. Keep your mouth shut if

he room and directly she was outside she turned the key in the lock. Lavinia, t