"But the place shows, Mr.
Betteredge--the place shows!" A remark which takes a man unawares by means of his own coat is not an easy remark to answer.

Something in the girl herself, too, made me particularly sorry for her just then.

She had nice brown eyes, plain as she was in other ways--and she looked at me with a sort of respect for my happy old age and my good character, as things for ever out of her own reach, which made my heart heavy for our second housemaid.

Not feeling myself able to comfort her, there was only one other thing to do.

That thing was--to take her in to dinner.
"Help me up," I said.