by brick. But it did not alarm
Gerty; she was used to rat-inhabited walls, and accustomed to hearing
such sounds all her life, when she slept in the garret at Nan Grant's.
Not so, however, with the ancient grimalkin, who pricked up her ears,
and gave every sign of a disposition to rush into battle.

Gerty glanced round the room with an air of satisfaction; then,
clambering upon the window-sill, where she could see the lamplighter as
he entered the gate, she took the cat in her arms, smoothed her dress,
and gave a look of pride at her shoes and stockings, and strove to
become patient. But it would not do; she could not be patient; it seemed
to her that he never came so late before, and she was beginning to think
he never would come at all, when he turned into the gate. He had brought
some person with him. He did not look tall enough to be Mr. Cooper, but
she concluded it must be he, for whoever it was stopped at his door
further up the yard and went it. Impatient as Gerty had been for True's
arrival, she did not run to meet him as usual, but waited until she
heard him come in through the shed, where he was in the habit of
stopping to hang up his ladder and lantern. She then ran and hid behind
the door by which he must enter the room. She evidently had some great
surprise in store for him. The cat was more mindful of her manners, and
went to meet him, rubbing her head against his legs, which was her
customary welcome.

"Hollo, whiskers," said True, "where's my little gal?"

He shut the door behind him as he spoke, thus disclosing Gerty to view.
She sprang forward with a bound, laughed, and looked first at her own
clothes and then in True's face, to see what he would think of her
appearance.

"Well, I declare!" said he, lifting her up in his arms, and carrying her
nearer to the light; "little folks do look famous! New frock, apron,
shoes! got 'em all on! And who fixed your hair? My! you an't none too
handsome, sartain, but you do look famous nice!"

"Mrs. Sullivan dressed me all up, and brushed my hair; and _more
too_--don't you see what _else_ she has done?"

True followed Gerty's eyes as they wandered around the room. He looked
amazed to satisfy her anticipations, great as they had been. He had been
gone since morning, and things had indeed undergone a transformation.
Woman's hands had evidently been at work clearing up and setting to
rights.

Until Gerty came to live with True his home had never been subjected