Most of the doors she knocked at were answered by dirty children or
by dirtier women; these, instinctively, told Mavis that she would
get neither cleanliness nor comfort in a house frequented by such
folk. When confronted with these, she would make some excuse for
knocking at the door, and, after walking on a few yards, would
attack the knocker of another house, when, more likely than not, the
door would be opened by an even more slatternly person than before.
Now and again she would light upon a likely place, but it soon
appeared to Mavis that good landladies knew their value and made
charges which were prohibitive to the girl's slender resources.

Tired with running up and down so many steps and stairs, Mavis
turned into a milk-shop to buy a bun and a glass of milk. She asked
the kindly-faced woman who served her if she happened to know of
anyone who let clean rooms at moderate charges. The woman wrote down
two addresses, said that she would be comfortable at either of
these, and told her the quickest way of getting to them. The first
name was a Mrs Ellis, who lived at 20 Kiva Gardens. This address
proved to be a neat, two-storied house, by the side of which was a
road leading to stables and a yard. Mrs Ellis opened the door.
Mavis, with a sense of elation, saw that she was a trim, elderly,
kindly-looking body.

The girl explained what she wanted. She learned that there was a
small bedroom at the back to let; also, that she could have the use
of the downstairs sitting-room, in which was a piano.

"Would you very much mind if I had one or two pupils?" asked Mavis.

"Not a bit, miss. I like young people myself, and look on music as