omestic as Hannah did before Miss Honeyman.
At five o'clock in summer, at seven in winter (for Miss Honeyman, a good
economist, was chary of candlelight), Hannah woke up little Sally, and
these three women rose. I leave you to imagine what a row there was in
the establishment if Sally appeared with flowers under her bonnet, gave
signs of levity or insubordination, prolonged her absence when sent
forth for the beer, or was discovered in flirtation with the baker's boy
or the grocer's young man. Sally was frequently renewed. Miss Honeyman
called all her young persons Sally; and a great number of Sallies were
consumed in her house. The qualities of the Sally for the time-being
formed a constant and delightful subject of conversation between Hannah
and her mistress. The few friends who visited Miss Honeyman in her
back-parlour had their Sallies, in discussing whose peculiarities of
disposition these good ladies passed the hours agreeably over their tea.

Many persons who let lodgings in Brighton have been servants
themselves--are retired housekeepers, tradesfolk, and the like. With
these surrounding individuals Hannah treated on a footing of equality,
bringing to her mistress accounts of their various goings on; "how No.
6 was let; how No. 9 had not paid his rent again; how the first floor
at 27 had game almost every day, and made-dishes from Mutton's; how
the family who had taken Mrs. Bugsby's had left as usual after the very
first night, the poor little infant blistered all over with bites on its
little dear face; how the Miss Learys was going on shameful with the
two young men, actially in their setting-room, mum, where one of them
offered Miss Laura Leary a cigar; how Mrs. Cribb still went cuttin'
pounds and pounds of meat off the lodgers' jints, emptying their
tea-caddies, actially reading their letters. Sally had been told so
by Polly the Cribb's maid, who was kep, how that poor child was kep,
hearing language perfectly hawful!" These tales and anecdotes, not
altogether redounding to their neighbours' credit, Hannah copiously
collected and brought to her mistress's tea-table, or served at her
frugal little supper when Miss Honeyman, the labours of the day over,
partook of that cheerful meal. I need not say that such horrors as
occurred at Mrs. Bugsby's never befell in Mrs. Honeyman's establishment.
Every room was fiercely swept and sprinkled, and watched by cunning
eyes which nothing could escape; curtains were taken d