gine that the entire care of the
household had suddenly devolved upon her shoulders. In the matter of
housewifery little Grace was almost equal to big Grace, her respected
mother; in downright honesty and truthfulness she greatly excelled her.

The description of Maggot's household, on that evening, would be very
incomplete were we to omit mention of Zackey Maggot. That young man--
for man he deemed himself, and man he was, in all respects, except the
trifling matters of years, size, and whiskers--that young man entered
the room with his uncle, and, without deigning to change his wet red
garments, sat him down at his father's feet and caught hold of a small
black kitten, which, at the time, lay sound asleep on the hearth, and
began to play with it in a grave patronising way, as though his taking
notice of it at all were a condescension.

That black kitten, or Chet, as it was usually styled, was accustomed to
be strangled the greater part of the morning by the baby. Most of the
afternoon it was worried by Zackey, and, during the intervals of
torment, it experienced an unusually large measure of the vicissitudes
incident to kitten life--such as being kicked out of the way by Maggot
senior, or thrown or terrified out of the way by Mrs Maggot, or dashed
at by stray dogs, or yelled at by passing boys. The only sunshine of
its life (which was at all times liable to be suddenly clouded) was when
it slept, or when little Grace put it on her soft neck, tickled its
chin, and otherwise soothed its ruffled spirit, as only a loving heart
knows how. A bad memory seemed to be that kitten's chief blessing. A
horror of any kind was no sooner past than it was straightway forgotten,
and the facetious animal would advance with arched back and glaring eyes
in defiance of an incursive hen, or twirl in mad hopeless career after
its own miserable tail!

"'Tis a keenly lode," said Maggot, puffing his pipe thoughtfully.

"Iss," assented David Trevarrow, also puffing his pipe, at the clouds
issuing from which baby gazed with endless amazement and admiration;
"it's worth much, but it isn't worth your life."

"Sure, I ain't goin' to give my life for't," replied Maggot.

"But you're goin' to risk it," said David, "an' you shouldn't, for
you've a wife an' child'n to provide for. Now, I tell 'ee what it is:
you lev it to me. _I'll_ hole to the house. It don't matter much what
happens to me."

"No, 'ee won't," said Maggot stoutly; "what