"What do you think of it?" asked Helen after she had opened the window and taken off her hat and gloves. "Humph" said Marshland looking round "pretty fair, but law Miss Helen, comparing it with your father's dainty little parlour its a mere scullery." "Yes" said Helen "but dont let us hurt poor Cyril's feelings, no doubt he likes it." "No doubt" replied Marshland. By 5 o'clock Cyril came in, very hot but happy for all that. "Well Helen" he said "what do you think of your future abode?" "Oh its very nice" answered Helen. "Well let us ring for tea" cried Cyril "you will take your meal with us tonight Marshland, but tomorrow you will find your place in the kitchen with Alice the maid, who will do all the hard work while you preside." Marshland looked pleased but said nothing. Alice brought in the tea, and the three made it off shrimps and bread and butter and by that time Helen was pleased to go to bed, quite pleased with her first day in London. Helen's bedroom was at the top of a very steep staircase and it was even more stuffy than the sitting room. A rather dirty white blind hung in the window, which Marshland instantly tore down, "the filthy rag" she exclaimed "never mind Miss Helen, in a few weeks, I'll have this fit for a lady and the sitting room too for that matter. The iron bed stead was of the collapsible kind and Helen had to prop it up with empty trunks in order to get a night's rest, but what with the squalling of the office cats and the noise of the clerks and servants below, it was in the small hours of the morning before either she or Marshland got a wink of sleep. CHAPTER 19 IMPROVEMENTS It was 8 o'clock, the following morning when Helen was awakened by hearing a loud dispute outside her door between Marshland and Alice Grimstone (the maid). Glancing at her watch, Helen jumped out of bed and began her toilet and half way through she was interrupted by Alice bouncing in announcing it was gone 8 o'clock and would she (Helen) care about any water for washing. Helen declared she would, upon which she was presented with a can of hot water and a clean towel, soap already having been provided. Having placed the last hair pin in her knob and fastenned her white blouse, Helen went down to the sitting room, where a smell of hot coffee and fried bacon greated her nose. "Ah this is Marshland's cooking" thought Helen as she raised the cover of the dish. A great improvement was also visible in the room itself. It had been well dusted and swept and a few london flowers adorned the mantle shelf, a clean white curtain hung in the window, and Helen's work box and other little articles lay about the room, making it look far more home like than on the preceding evening. Cyril (Helen had heard) rose very late, so she was forced to partake of her breakfast alone.