the job."

CHAPTER V

Down in the new tenement Anna and her little slave, M'riar, worked
hard, that day, at cleaning.

"W'ere Hi wuz born," M'riar gravely commented, "we wuz brought up on
dirt an' liked hit, but we never wusn't greedy for hit, like th' way
these folks, 'ere, 'as been."

Anna, in the next room, was for the first time in her life working
with a scrubbing-brush, and, presently, M'riar heard its swish.

"Hi s'y!" she cried, and dashed into the gloomy cubby-hole. "Wot's
this? You scrubbin'? Drop it, now, you 'ear? Hit 'yn't fer me to show
no disrespeck, Frow_line_, but--drop it. Hi 'yn't a-goin' to have them
pretty 'ands hall spoilt."

"But, M'riarrr, I just _love_ to scrub."

"Don't love hanythink so vulgar," M'riar replied without a moment's
hesitation. "Don't _you_ bother lovin' hanythink but just the guvnor,
and--and--Mr. Vanderlyn." She looked down at blushing Anna who, upon
her knees, was astonished almost into full paralysis. And then she
shrilly laughed.

"_Hi_ knows!" said she. "_Hi_ knows."

"M'riarrr," said Anna slowly, rising, "you are crrazy."

"Not so cryzy as a 'ackman 'ammerin' 'is 'ead hagainst a 'ouse." said
M'riar. "There's cryzier. Love mykes 'em that w'y."

"Quite crrazy," Anna answered; but she was blushing furiously.

"Blushin' red as beefstykes," M'riar commented as she took the brush
and started to do Anna's painfully accomplished task all over, from
the big crack by the door where she had started. "'Ow's 'e hever goin'
to know w'ere we 'ave moved to?" she asked her mistress, now.

"Father left a word."

"Ho, did 'e?" M'riar asked.

"Yes; certainly."

"Ho, _did_ 'e!" M'riar exclaimed again. "Wot mykes yer think 'e did?"

"He told me so."

M'riar sat back, astounded. She knew he had not done so, for she,
herself, had asked the landlord there and been assured that no hint
had been given. She did not know just what to do, but soon reached a
decision.

"Hi'll tell yer, frow-line. I reckon 'e forgot or else th' toff there,
'e don't ricollick. Hi knows as 'e don't know w'ere 'tis we've come
to. 'E tol' me hit 'ad slipped 'is mind."

"Oh," said Anna, in distress.

"'Ow's Mr. Vanderlyn to find, then?"

"Oh, I do not know," said Anna in dismay.

"Hi do," said M'riar, scrubbing furiously toward Anna till that dainty
maiden fled before her and took refuge in the doorway. "Hi'm goin'
back there to leave word fer 'im."

"Father might not wish--" Anna bega