The house at which the cab drew up was large, and looked as dreary as large, but scarcely drearier than any other house in London on that same night of November.
The cabman rang the bell, but it was not until they had waited a time altogether unreasonable that the door at length opened, and a lofty, well-built footman in livery appeared framed in it.
Mary got out, and, going up the steps, said she hoped the driver had brought her to the right house: it was Mrs.Redmain's she wanted.
"Mrs.Redmain is not at home, miss," answered the man.

"I didn't hear as how she was expecting of any one," he added, with a glance at the boxes, formlessly visible on the cab, through the now thicker darkness.
"She is expecting me, I know," returned Mary; "but of course she would not stay at home to receive me," she remarked, with a smile.
"Oh!" returned the man, in a peculiar tone, and adding, "I'll see," went away, leaving her on the top of the steps, with the cabman behind her, at the bottom of them, waiting orders to get her boxes down.
"It don't appear as you was overwelcome, miss!" he remarked: with his comrades on the stand he passed for a wit; "-- leastways, it don't seem as your sheets was quite done hairing." "It's all right," said Mary, cheerfully.
She was not ready to imagine her dignity in danger, therefore did not provoke assault upon it by anxiety for its safety.
"I'm sorry to hear it, miss," the man rejoined.
"Why ?" she asked.
"'Cause I should ha' liked to ha' taken _you_ farther." "But why ?" said Mary, the second time, not understanding him, and not unwilling to cover the awkwardness of that slow minute of waiting.
"Because it gives a poor man with a whole family o' prowocations some'at of a chance, to 'ave a affable young lady like you, miss, behind him in his cab, once a year, or thereabouts.

It's not by no means as I'd have you go farther and fare worse, which it's a sayin' as I've heerd said, miss.

So, if you're sure o' the place, I may as well be a-gettin' down of _your_ boxes." So saying, he got on the cab, and proceeded to unfasten the chain that secured the luggage.
"Wait a bit, cabbie.

Don't you be in sech a 'urry as if you was a 'ansom, now," cried the footman, reappearing at the farther end of the hall.