True girl of the people was Totty, herein as in other respects.

It was a simple fact that Mrs.Bower's business depended on the indolence and indifference to small economies of those women who lived in her immediate neighbourhood.

It is the same kind of thing that leads working people to pay for having meat badly cooked at the baker's instead of cooking it cheaply and well themselves; that leads them to buy expensive, ready-prepared suppers at the pork butcher's and the fried-fish shop, instead of tossing up an equally good and very cheap supper for themselves.
Considering her income, Totty had spent a great deal with Mrs.Bower, as you remember that lady once remarking.

Totty had a mind to live on luxuries; if she had not money enough for both bread and marmalade, she chose to have the marmalade alone; if she could not buy meat and pickles at the same time, she would have pickles and go without meat.
Marmalade and pickles she deemed the indispensables of life; if you could not get those--well, it was no uncommon thing for poor creatures to be driven to the workhouse.

And the strange thing was that she looked so well on such diet.