‘Who’s that?’ was asked from within.

‘You ain’t in bed yet, Miss Nancarrow, are you?’ Jack asked, with the frankness of expression which became his age.

The door opened, and Totty appeared, able to receive visitors still with perfect propriety.

‘What is it, Jacky?’

The lad was munching his bread and butter.

’You haven’t got a spoonful of that jam left, have you, Miss Nancarrow?’ he asked, with a mixture of confidence and shamefacedness.

Totty laughed.

’I dare say I have.  But this is a nice time to come asking for jam.  Isn’t your father in?’

’Gone out.  Says he’ll be half an hour.  Plenty of time, Miss Nancarrow.

‘Come in then.’

Totty closed the door, and produced from her cupboard—­a receptacle regarded with profound interest both by Nelly and the maturer Jack—­a pot of black currant preserve.  She spread some with a liberal hand on the lad’s bread, then watched him as he ate, her enjoyment equalling his own.  The bread finished, she offered a spoonful of jam pure and simple; it was swallowed with gusto.

‘I say, Miss Nancarrow,’ remarked Jack, ’I don’t half-like going to a new house.  I can’t see what father wants to move for; we’re well enough off here.’

‘Why don’t you want to go?’

’Well, there’s a good many things.  I shouldn’t mind so much, you know, if you was coming as well.’

Again she laughed.

’That’s as much as to say, Jack, you’ll be sorry when there’s no jam.  It isn’t me, not it!’

’Don’t be so sure.  I shall come and see you often enough, and not for jam, either.  You’re always jolly with me.  And I don’t see why you can’t come as well.  Father ‘ud like you to.’

Totty regarded him with a smile for an instant, then asked, carelessly: 

‘How do you know that?  As if it made any difference to your father!’

’But he’s said he wished you was coming.  He said so day before yesterday.’

’Nonsense!  Now get off to bed.  He’ll be back, and we shall both get scolded.’

Jack drew to the door, but Totty recalled him.

’What an idea, for your father to say he wished I was coming!  Tell me how he said it.’

’Why, it was about Nelly.  We was talking and saying Nelly ’ud miss you.  And father said, half to himself like, ’Nelly wouldn’t be sorry if Miss Nancarrow ’ud come and be with her always, and I dare say somebody else wouldn’t be sorry, either.’’

‘Why, you silly boy, he meant you, of course.’

‘Oh no, he didn’t.  Think I can’t tell what he meant!’

‘Run off to bed!  I think I hear your father coming in.’

Jack made a rush, and in one minute and a half was under the bed-clothes.