oodid in the bill," she announced glibly--"An' 'opes you've got all
ye want."

Helmsley looked at her kindly.

"You're a smart little girl!" he said. "Beginning to earn your own
living already, eh?"

"Lor', that aint much!" retorted Prue, putting a knife by the brown
loaf, and setting the breakfast things even more straightly on the table
than they originally were. "I lives on nothin' scarcely, though I'm
turned fifteen an' likes a bit o' fresh pork now an' agen. But I've got
a brother as is on'y ten, an' when 'e aint at school 'e's earnin' a bit
by gatherin' mussels on the beach, an' 'e do collect a goodish bit too,
though 'taint reg'lar biziness, an' 'e gets hisself into such a pickle
o' salt water as never was. But he brings mother a shillin' or two."

"And who is your mother?" asked Helmsley, drawing up his chair to the
table and sitting down.

"Misses Clodder, up at Blue-bell Cottage, two miles from 'ere across the
moor," replied Prue. "She goes out a-charing, but it's 'ard for 'er to
be doin' chars now--she's gettin' old an' fat--orful fat she be gettin'.
Dunno what we'll do if she goes on fattenin'."

It was difficult not to laugh at this statement, Prue's eyes were so
round, her cheeks were so red, and she breathed so spasmodically as she
spoke. David Helmsley bit his lips to hide a broad smile, and poured out
his tea.

"Have you no father?"

"No, never 'ad," declared Prue, quite jubilantly. "'E droonk 'isself to
death an' tumbled over a cliff near 'ere one dark night an' was
drowned!" This, with the most thrilling emphasis.

"That's very sad! But you can't say you never had a father," persisted
Helmsley. "You had him before he was drowned?"

"No, I 'adn't," said Prue. "'E never comed 'ome at all. When 'e seed me
'e didn't know me, 'e was that blind droonk. When my little brother was
born 'e was 'owlin' wild down Watchet way, an' screechin' to all the
folks as 'ow the baby wasn't his'n!"

This was a doubtful subject,--a "delicate and burning question," as
reviewers for the press say when they want to praise some personal
friend's indecent novel and pass it into decent households,--and
Helmsley let it drop. He devoted himself to the consideration of his
breakfast, which was excellent, and found that he had an appetite to
enjoy it thoroughly.

Prue watched him for a minute or two in silence.

"Ye likes yer food?" she demanded, presently.

"Very much!"

"Thought yer did! I'll tell Mis' Tranter."