“No dinner at all! Are you sure, my pet?” Yes, the child was sure, as sure as a child could be. Holdsworth sprang up and rang the bell, and entered the passage to await Mrs. Parrot. She came out of her kitchen, and Holdsworth exclaimed, mastering his agitation: “I want to confer with you, Mrs. Parrot. Nelly tells me that her mamma has no dinner to-day. Is this likely--is this possible, do you think?” “Indeed, sir, since you ask me, I do then, and God forgi’ me for thinkin’ the worst,” answered Mrs. Parrot. “But,” cried Holdsworth, “I gave Mr. Conway ten pounds this morning, stipulating that he should spend it on his wife and child!” “He!” exclaimed Mrs. Parrot, almost savagely. “The wretch! ten pounds! he’ll spend it all i’ liquor! Oh, sir, why didn’t you give it to the poor lady?” “Yes--I ought to have done so,” replied Holdsworth clasping his hands. “But how could I--what excuse _could_ I have found for sending it to her? Oh, Mrs. Parrot! something must be done. I can’t bear to think of the poor lady actually dinnerless. What can we contrive? Remember--she is a lady--we must be careful.” “To think of your lending ten pounds to that villin!” cried Mrs. Parrot, whose mind was staggered by the munificence of the sum and the artfulness of the man in obtaining it. “I niver heerd of such a thing! And was that his reason for callin’? If I’d ha’ only known his object, I’d ha’ sent him packin’ with his blarney, wouldn’t I?” “What do you advise?” said Holdsworth, eagerly. “Well, sir, I’m sure I don’t know what to say. She _is_ a lady, and it wouldn’t do to send her butchers’ meat across, would it? I’ll tell you what we _could_ do, sir; I could kill one o’ my fowls and leave it with my compliments, pretending I had killed some yesterday, and wished her, as a neighbour, to taste my fattening.” “That will do! But, instead of killing your fowls, take this half-sovereign and run at once to the poulterer’s, and buy a couple of pullets. You can then take them across, and she will suppose they are your own rearing. Will you do this?” “With the greatest of pleasure, sir; and I’m sure you must have a very kind heart to take so much interest in poor folks.” And Mrs. Parrot ran off for her bonnet, and was presently hurrying down the road with a market-basket on her arm, and her untied bonnet-strings streaming over her shoulders. Holdsworth waited impatiently for her return, whilst Nelly, who had finished dinner, toddled about the room, gazing with round earnest eyes into the recesses, and the cupboards, and at the shepherds on the mantelpiece, and the yellow roses on the mat. In ten minutes’ time Mrs. Parrot came back with her face flushed with the heat and exercise, and darted into the house as though she had swept half a jeweller’s shop into her basket and was flying for dear life.