Alie’s face grew red again; she really felt ashamed of Biddy.

‘And it’s worse,’ she said to herself, ’to be so forward to people who are not quite the same as us, though I’m sure Mrs. Fairchild is as nice as any lady.’

And Mrs. Fairchild confirmed this feeling of Alie’s by coming again to the rescue.

‘Certainly, my dear,’ she said, smiling.  ’You shall look through the window from the other side.  There’s pretty sure to be a chair in front of it, if you are not tall enough.  My little girl is very fond of looking through that funny window.’

She led the way through another door—­a door facing the street entrance—­into a very small passage, whence a narrow staircase ran up to the first floor.  The children could scarcely see where they were, for the passage was dark, till Mrs. Fairchild opened another door leading into the parlour, and even then it was not very light, for the parlour window, as I think I said before, looked on to a little yard, and there were the walls of other houses round this yard.

It was a very neat, but to the children’s eyes a rather dreary-looking little room.

Biddy turned to Celestina.

‘I think I like droind-rooms better than parlours,’ she said, returning to their conversation in the street, ’except for the sweet little window,’ and in another instant she had mounted the chair and was peering through.  ‘Oh, it is nice,’ she said.  ’I can see Roughie’—­for Rough, had considered it more manly to stay in the shop—­’and Mr.—­your papa, Celestina.  It’s like a magic-lantern; no, I mean a peep-show.  I wish we had one in our house.  Alie, do look.’

[Illustration:  ‘It’s like a magic-lantern; no, I mean a peep-show.’  P. 89.]

Rosalys came forward, not so eager to take advantage of Biddy’s obliging offer as to seize the chance of giving her a little private admonition.

‘Biddy,’ she whispered, ’I’m ashamed of you.  I never knew you so free and rude before.’

Bridget descended dolefully from the chair.

‘I’m very sorry,’ she said; ‘please, ma’am,’ and she turned to Mrs. Fairchild, ‘I didn’t mean to be free and rude.’

The babyishness of her round fat face, and her brown eyes looking quite ready to cry, touched Mrs. Fairchild, though it is fair to add that she approved of Alie’s checking the child.  She would have been perfectly shocked if Celestina even when younger than Biddy had behaved to strangers as the little visitor was doing.  Children were kept much more in the background forty years ago than now.  On the whole I don’t know that it was altogether a bad thing for them, though in some cases it was carried too far, much farther than you, dear children of to-day, would find at all pleasant, or than I should like to see.

‘No, my dear, I am sure you did not mean any harm,’ said Mrs. Fairchild.  ’We all have to learn, but it is very nice for you to have a kind elder sister to direct you.’