he feeble respiration, Jim looking at her very mournfully;
the doctor grave, with his fingers on the pulse. The two women looked
at Jim.

'Fancy it bein' 'im!' said Mrs. Kemp. 'Strike me lucky, ain't 'e a
sight!'

'You 'ave got 'er insured, Mrs. Kemp?' asked the midwife. She could
bear the silence no longer.

'Trust me fur thet!' replied the good lady. 'I've 'ad 'er insured ever
since she was born. Why, only the other dy I was sayin' ter myself
thet all thet money 'ad been wisted, but you see it wasn't; yer never
know yer luck, you see!'

'Quite right, Mrs. Kemp; I'm a rare one for insurin'. It's a great
thing. I've always insured all my children.'

'The way I look on it is this,' said Mrs. Kemp--'wotever yer do when
they're alive, an' we all know as children is very tryin' sometimes,
you should give them a good funeral when they dies. Thet's my motto,
an' I've always acted up to it.'

'Do you deal with Mr. Stearman?' asked Mrs. Hodges.

'No, Mrs. 'Odges, for undertikin' give me Mr. Footley every time. In the
black line 'e's fust an' the rest nowhere!'

'Well, thet's very strange now--thet's just wot I think. Mr. Footley
does 'is work well, an' 'e's very reasonable. I'm a very old customer
of 'is, an' 'e lets me 'ave things as cheap as anybody.'

'Does 'e indeed! Well Mrs. 'Odges if it ain't askin' too much of yer, I
should look upon it as very kind if you'd go an' mike the arrangements
for Liza.'

'Why, certainly, Mrs. Kemp. I'm always willin' ter do a good turn to
anybody, if I can.'

'I want it done very respectable,' said Mrs. Kemp; 'I'm not goin' ter
stint for nothin' for my daughter's funeral. I like plumes, you know,
although they is a bit extra.'

'Never you fear, Mrs. Kemp, it shall be done as well as if it was for
my own 'usbind, an' I can't say more than thet. Mr. Footley thinks a
deal of me, 'e does! Why, only the other dy as I was goin' inter 'is
shop 'e says "Good mornin', Mrs. 'Odges." "Good mornin', Mr. Footley,"
says I. "You've jest come in the nick of time," says 'e. "This
gentleman an' myself," pointin' to another gentleman as was standin'
there, "we was 'avin' a bit of an argument. Now you're a very
intelligent woman, Mrs. 'Odges, and a good customer too." "I can say
thet for myself," say I, "I gives yer all the work I can." "I believe
you," says 'e. "Well," 'e says, "now which do you think? Does hoak
look better than helm, or does helm look better than hoak? Hoak
_versus_ helm, thet