We can't always avoid it
in our profession, miss."
"I don't understand you," she answered, feeling a little uneasy.--Were
there horrors to be revealed of which she had surmised nothing?
"If you will do us the honor to take a seat, miss, we shall be only too
happy to show you as much as you may please to look upon with favor."
Hester shuddered involuntarily, but mastered herself. The man saw her
hesitate, and resumed.
"You see, miss, this is how it was. Dr. Christopher--that's the
gentleman there, a lookin' after mother--he's been that kind to her an'
me an' all on us in our trouble, an' never a crown-piece to offer
him--which I'm sure no lady in the land could ha' been better attended
to than she've been--twixt him an' you, miss--so we thought as how we'd
do our best for him, an' try an' see whether amongst us we couldn't give
him a pleasant evenin' as it were, just to show as we was grateful. So
we axed him to tea, an' he come, like the gen'leman he be, an' so we
shoved the bed aside an' was showin' him a bit on our craft, just a
trick or two, miss--me an' the boys here--stan' forward, Robert an' the
rest of you an' make your bows to the distinguished company as honors
you with their presence to cast an eye on you an' see what you can show
yourselves capable of.
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