letters,' 'How to see at long
distances,' and heaps more. 'Price one and sixpence, or, post free,
twenty stamps.''

'Don't be a fool and waste your money!' was Totty's uncompromising
advice. 'It's only sillies believes things like that.'

'Totty ain't no need of charms!' piped Tilly, with sweets in her mouth.
'She knows who _she's_ going to marry.'

'Do I, miss?' Totty exclaimed, scornfully. 'Do you know as much for
yourself, I wonder?'

'Oh, Tilly's a-going to marry the p'liceman with red hair as stands on
the Embankment!' came from Mrs. Allchin; whereupon followed
inextinguishable laughter.

But they wore determined to tease Totty, and began to talk from one to
the other about Luke Ackroyd, not mentioning his name, but using signs
and symbols.

'If you two wait for husbands till I'm married,' said Totty at length
to the laughing girls, 'you've a good chance to die old maids. I prefer
to keep my earnings for my own spending, thank you.'

'When's Thyrza Trent going to be married?' asked Mrs. Allchin. 'Do you
know, Totty?'

'In about a fortnight, I think.'

'Is the bands puts up?'

'They're going to be married at the Registry Office.'

'Well, I never!' cried Annie West. 'You wouldn't catch me doing without
a proper wedding! I suppose that's why Thyrza won't talk about it. But
I believe he's a rum sort of man, isn't he?'

Nobody could reply from personal acquaintance with Gilbert Grail. Totty
did not choose to give her opinion.

'I say,' she exclaimed, 'we've had enough about marriages. Tilly, make
yourself useful, child, and cut some bread.'

For a couple of hours at least gossip was unintermittent. Then Mrs.
Allchin declared that her husband would be 'making a row' if she stayed
from home any later. Tilly Roach took leave at the same time. Totty and
Miss West chatted a little longer, then put on their hats to have a
ramble in Lambeth Walk.

They had not gone many paces from the house when they were overtaken by
some one, who said:

'Totty! I want to speak to you.'

Totty would not look round. It was Ackroyd's voice.

'I say, Totty!'

But she walked on. Ackroyd remained on the edge of the pavement. In a
minute or two he saw that Miss Nancarrow was coming towards him
unaccompanied.

'Oh, it's you, is it?' she said. 'What do you want, Mr. Ackroyd?'

'Why didn't you come this afternoon?'

'Well, I like that! Why didn't _you_ come?'

'I was a bit late. I really couldn't help it, Totty. Did yo