house, and we've had a many, as you know. Why, if you'd only have
seen him when Mary come in in her tantrums at 'aving to get the tray
single-handed, and begun a-grumblin' and a-bangin' things about, as
is her way, being of a quick temper, though, as I tells her, too slow
a-movin' of herself. As I were a-sayin', you should have seen that
boy. If he didn't up and leave his bread and butter and mug of milk,
as he was a-enjoyin' of as 'arty as you like, and, 'Look 'ere,' says
he, 'giv' me the jug. I'll make some fine drink with lemons. I see
Dick do it often up at his place. Giv' me the squeezer. Wait till I
washes my 'ands. I won't be a minnit.' Then in he rushes into the
scullery, washes his hands, runs back again in a jiffy. 'Got any snow
sugar? I mean all done fine like snow.' I gave it him; and, sure
enough, his little hands moved that quick, he had made the lemonade
before Mary would have squeezed a lemon. 'Where do yer buy the
cream?' he says next. 'I'll run and get it while you picks the
strawberries.' Perhaps it wasn't right, me a trustin' him, being a
stranger, but he was that quick I couldn't say no. Up he takes the
jug, and was off; and when I come in from the garden with the
strawberries, if he hadn't been and put all them flowers on the
things. He begs my pardon for interfering like, and says, 'I 'ope
you'll excuse me a-doin' of it, but the woman at the milk-shop said I
might 'ave 'em; and I see the butler where Dick lives wind the
flowers about like that, and 'ave 'elped 'im often; and, please, I
paid for the cream, because I'd got two bob of my own, Dick giv' me
on my birthday. Oh, I do 'ope, Mrs. Cook,' he says, 'that the lady'll
take me; I 'll serve 'er well, I will, indeed;' and then he begins to
cry and tremble, poor little chap, for he'd been running about a lot,
and never eaten or drank what I gave him, because he wanted to help,
and it was hot in the kitchen, I suppose, and he felt faint like, but
there he is, crying; and just now, when the bell rung, which was two