Page:Gissing - The Nether World, vol. I, 1889.djvu/126

 Snowdon or some one akin to him would ultimately make good to her the expenses she had not grudged.

"She's a child as pays you back for all the trouble you take, so much I will say for her," observed the matron in conclusion. "Not as it hasn't been a little 'ard to teach her tidiness, but she's only a young thing still. I shouldn't wonder but she's felt her position a little now an' then; it's only natural in a growin' girl, do what you can to prevent it. Still, she's willin'; that nobody can deny, an' I'm sure I should never wish to. Her cirkinstances has been peculiar; that you'll understand, I'm sure. But I done my best to take the place of the mother as is gone to a better world. An' now that she's layin' ill, I'm sure no mother could feel it more"

"Ill? Why didn't you mention that before?"

"Didn't I say as she was ill? Why, I thought it was the first word I spoke as soon as you got into the 'ouse. You can't a