Page:Gissing - The Nether World, vol. I, 1889.djvu/126

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
114
THE NETHER WORLD.
114

Snowdon or some one akin to him would ultimately make good to her the expenses she had not grudged.

"She's a child as pays you back for all the trouble you take, so much I will say for her," observed the matron in conclusion. "Not as it hasn't been a little 'ard to teach her tidiness, but she's only a young thing still. I shouldn't wonder but she's felt her position a little now an' then; it's only natural in a growin' girl, do what you can to prevent it. Still, she's willin'; that nobody can deny, an' I'm sure I should never wish to. Her cirkinstances has been peculiar; that you'll understand, I'm sure. But I done my best to take the place of the mother as is gone to a better world. An' now that she's layin' ill, I'm sure no mother could feel it more——"

"Ill? Why didn't you mention that before?"

"Didn't I say as she was ill? Why, I thought it was the first word I spoke as soon as you got into the 'ouse. You can't a