Whilst the kettle boiled, Annie West provided diversion of a literary kind.  She had recently purchased a little book in cover of yellow paper, which, for the sum of one penny, purported to give an exhaustive description of ‘Charms, Spells, and Incantations;’ on the back was the picture of a much-bejewelled Moorish maiden, with eyes thrown up in prophetic ecstasy; above ran the legend, ’Wonderfully mysterious and peculiar.’  The work included, moreover, ’a splendid selection of the best love songs.’

‘It’s cheap at a penny,’ was Miss West’s opinion.

She began by reading out an infallible charm for the use of maidens who would see in dreams their future husband.  It was the ’Nine-key Charm.’

’’Get nine small keys, they must all be your own by begging or purchase (borrowing will not do, nor must you tell what you want them for), plait a three-plaited band of your own hair, and tie them together, fastening the ends with nine knots.  Fasten them with one of your garters to your left wrist on going to bed, and bind the other garter round your head; then say: 

St. Peter, take it not amiss,
To try your favour I’ve done this. 
You are the ruler of the keys,
Favour me, then, if you please;
Let me then your influence prove,
And see my dear and wedded love.

This must be done on the eve of St. Peter’s, and is an old charm used by the maidens of Rome in ancient times, who put great faith in it.’’

‘When is the eve of St. Peter’s?’ asked Tilly Roach.  ’Totty, you’re a Catholic, you ought to know.’

‘Don’t bother me with your rubbish!’ cried Totty.

‘It ain’t rubbish at all,’ retorted Annie West.  ’Now didn’t you see your husband, Loo, with a card charm before you’d ever really set eyes on him?’

‘Course I did,’ assented Mrs. Allchin, aged fifteen.

‘Here’s another book I’m going to get,’ pursued Annie, referring to an advertisement on the cover.  ’It tells you no end of things—­see here!’ ‘How to bewitch your enemies,’ ’How to render yourself invisible,’ ‘How to grow young again,’ ‘How to read sealed letters,’ ‘How to see at long distances,’ and heaps more.  ’Price one and sixpence, or, post free, twenty stamps.’’

‘Don’t be a fool and waste your money!’ was Totty’s uncompromising advice.  ‘It’s only sillies believes things like that.’

‘Totty ain’t no need of charms!’ piped Tilly, with sweets in her mouth.  ‘She knows who she’s going to marry.’

‘Do I, miss?’ Totty exclaimed, scornfully.  ’Do you know as much for yourself, I wonder?’

’Oh, Tilly’s a-going to marry the p’liceman with red hair as stands on the Embankment!’ came from Mrs. Allchin; whereupon followed inextinguishable laughter.

But they wore determined to tease Totty, and began to talk from one to the other about Luke Ackroyd, not mentioning his name, but using signs and symbols.

‘If you two wait for husbands till I’m married,’ said Totty at length to the laughing girls, ’you’ve a good chance to die old maids.  I prefer to keep my earnings for my own spending, thank you.’