"What do he want, I wonder ?" "Who ?" cried Nancy, the under-housemaid, a tart sort of girl, whose business it was to assist in the laundry on busy days.
"Dan Duff.

Just see what he wants, Nancy.

He's got a parcel." The gentleman familiarly called Dan Duff was an urchin of ten years old.
He was the son of Mrs.Duff, linen-draper-in-ordinary to Deerham--a lady popularly spoken of as "Mother Duff," both behind her back and before her face.

Nancy darted out at the laundry-door and waylaid the intruder in the yard.
"Now, Dan Duff!" cried she, "what do you want ?" "Please, here's this," was Dan Duff's reply, handing over the parcel.
"And, please, I want to see Rachel Frost." "Who's it for?
What's inside it ?" sharply asked Nancy, regarding the parcel on all sides.
"It's things as Rachel Frost have been a-buying," he replied.

"Please, I want to see her." "Then want must be your master," retorted Nancy.