"But how?" queried her mistress, in a tone which was a mixture of astonishment and perplexity. "Same how as I get to most places, Madam--on my feet." "You walked to London, Charity?" "Ay, I did. I'm good for fifteen miles at a stretch." "And whence gat you the money for your lodging?" Charity laughed. "I never paid a halfpenny for lodging nobut [Note 1] once, and that was th' last night afore I got here. Some nights I lay in a barn upo' th' hay: but most on 'em I got took in at a farm-house, and did an hour or two's work for 'em i' th' morn to pay for my lodging and breakfast. But some on 'em gave it me right out for nought--just for company like. I bought my victuals, of course: but I should ha' wanted them wherever I'd been." "And what led you to wish for life in London, Charity?" "Eh! bless you, I want none to live i' London. It's a great, smoky, dirty place." "Then what did you want?" "I wanted yo'," said Charity, with a nod at her mistress. "Lady Lettice, yo'll not turn me away? If things is so bad you cannot afford to keep me, you shalln't: I can earn enough by my spinning half th' day, and serve you i' t' other half. But yo'll want two: I'm sure Rachel can ne'er do all th' work, and you'd best have me, for nob'ry else 'll put so much heart into 't as I shall. Do let me stop, for I cannot abear to leave you." It was a moment before Lady Louvaine could speak. Then she held out her hand to Charity. "My faithful Charity, I will not turn thee away! So long as I have two loaves of bread, thou mayest be sure of one." "Thank God, that's all right!" said Charity with a sigh of evident relief. "We's [we shall] get on famous, Rachel and me, and nother on us 'll feel as if we'd been cast away of a desert island, as I've been feeling afore yo' come. Eh, but it is a town, is this!" "Charity, I wonder how you won in the house," said Edith. "My Lord Oxford--" "I've got a bit more gumption, Mrs Edith, than you credit me with. I brought a letter to my Lord, or I should ne'er ha' looked to get in else." "A letter!--from whom?" "Fro' Mrs Joyce Morrell, to tell him who I were, and a bit more, I reckon." "I asked my Lord Oxford of his goodness to speak to some upholder [upholsterer] to send in a little necessary furnishing," said Lady Louvaine, looking round, "such as were strictly needful, and should last us till we could turn us about: but methinks he hath done somewhat more than that."