without never so much as a day's warnin' which was what every woman who didn't wish to be trodden under foot, which thank Hevving wasn't her way, had a perfect right to expect; yes, and a week's warnin' now you mention it, and without even so much as sayin' many thanks to you, Mistress Scrubbs, for all past kindnesses which was most namerous though she said it who shouldn't say it leastwise she wasn't never no kind of a person to be lookin' for thanks every minnit —it was really scanderlous, though to be sure Mister 'iggspaid up everythin' to the last farthin' and it fairly brought tears to her eyes to see dear empty boots lyin' there in the corner of his room, which alone showed trouble of mind for he always stood 'em up straight as solgers though bein' half-soled twice they hadn't of course been worth takin' away.'
Whereupon her dearest friend, Miss Scrumpkins, ran home to tell all about it. And, as every body knew the Scrumpkinses, a shining gossamer of news was soon woven from one end of the street to the other.
An investigating committee met, that evening, at Mrs. Snigham's—sitting, in secret session, over her best china. Though invited only to a quiet 'tea,' the amount of judicial business they transacted on the occasion was prodigious. The biscuits were actually cold before the committee had a chance to eat anything. There was so much to talk over—and it was so important that it should be firmly established that each member had always been certain sure that something extraordinary would be happening to that man yet," that it was near eight o'clock before Mrs. Snigham gave anybody a second cup.
