"Mary Donovan," said the lady of the house with dignity, "it is five minutes past four; you need not wait any longer to-day." Mary Donovan rose at the instant, and made a bob to Miss Tollicks, and one each to Matt and Septimus--bobs that were a disgrace to her after the elaborate obeisances she had so lately seen made; and then she took her departure, played out by a couple of "tings," Miss Tollicks smiling blandly, and courteously holding her head on one side as she stood waiting to know the object of her visitors' call. Miss Tollicks was a lady whom no one would have supposed to have been born a genius, from the utter absence of ennobling qualities in her face; but for all that she made-up showily, possessed a good figure, had two little corkscrew curls on either side of her face, a suspicion of thinness about her hair--parting, which on a small scale exhibited somewhat the appearance of certain stout ladies' dresses in the back when they have been without assistance in the hooking department; for the said parting began correctly, and then gradually opened out, but only to contract again and finish evenly some distance farther back. By way of head-dress, Miss Tollicks wore a black-velvet blackbird, with handsome gold-bead eyes, the said ornithological head-dress being kept in its place by means of a fillet of black-velvet and gold twist. A very thick, plain-linked, jet chain was round her neck, a very glossy buckle at her waist, fastening the cincture of her very rusty black-silk dress, slightly rubbed at the plaits; so that altogether Miss Tollicks presented the aspect of a lady superior at the very least. "We merely called," said Septimus, after an awkward pause, during which he had been waiting for Matt to begin, "to--er--er--to--er--that is to ask if you could give us any information respecting a Mr Phillips, a surgeon, who once resided here." "Dear me, how disappointing!" said Miss Tollicks. "Now do you know I thought you had come after servants; I did indeed." "Really," said Septimus sadly, "I am sorry to have caused you disappointment; but it was important that I should know, and I called-- urgent--troubled you," he stammered again, looking in vain at Matt, who only took snuff. "O, don't apologise, pray," said Miss Tollicks; "come in and sit down, and let's--let me," she said, correcting herself,--"let me hear what it is. There, don't laugh at me, for one is obliged to be so particular how one speaks to the grand people who come for servants." Miss Tollicks led the way into her inner chamber, where the fat dog slept snoringly in the sunshine; and, after a little hesitation, her two visitors took the proffered chairs.