That's like me; sometimes I'm drawed that way and sometimes t'other
way, and it's never no use for me to try to go against it. I ain't
a-going to say anything more to you; God-A'mighty, He's above us all;
but p'r'aps you may be comm' this way again some day, and then you'll
look in.'
Madge turned again to the light, and again caught Mrs Caffyn's hand,
but was silent.
The next morning, after Madge's return, Mrs Cork, the landlady,
presented herself at the sitting-room door and 'wished to speak with
Mrs Hopgood for a minute.'
'Come in, Mrs Cork.'
'Thank you, ma'am, but I prefer as you should come downstairs.'
Mrs Cork was about forty, a widow with no children. She had a face
of which it was impossible to recollect, when it had been seen even a
dozen times, any feature except the eyes, which were steel-blue, a
little bluer than the faceted head of the steel poker in her parlour,
but just as hard. She lived in the basement with a maid, much like
herself but a little more human. Although the front underground room
was furnished Mrs Cork never used it, except on the rarest occasions,
and a kind of apron of coloured paper hung over the fireplace nearly
all the year. She was a woman of what she called regular habits. No
lodger was ever permitted to transgress her rules, or to have meals
ten minutes before or ten minutes after the appointed time.
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