Septimus shook his head, went and thrust some sheets of paper into the fire, and then walked to the window, where his apathetic air passed off for an instant, as he seemed to recognise the face of a woman who passed quickly from the opposite house, and then hurriedly made her way out of the court. "Strange!" muttered Septimus to himself; "but there, it couldn't be her." "And where's my little di'mond?" said Matt to Lucy. "Asleep by mamma," replied Lucy. "Bless him! I've brought him a steam-ingin," said Matt, bringing a toy-model, with a glorious display of cotton-wool steam, out of his pocket; "and I don't know what this here's meant for," he continued, drawing a wooden quadruped from the other pocket. "Stands well, don't he, miss? Wonder what it's meant for! 'Tain't a horse, nor a halligator, nor a elephant--can't be a elephant, you know, because they haven't got these Berlin-wool-looking sides; no, nor it ain't no trunk neither. Let's call it a hippopotamus, and see how he'll tie his pretty little tongue in a knot, bless him! a-trying to say it when he wakes. You'll tell him Uncle Matt brought 'em, won't you, miss?" he said, holding them behind his back. Lucy nodded, while Matt blew out and arranged the cotton-wool steam as carefully as if it was a matter of the greatest importance, or a jewel for a queen; and who shall say that the old printer's task was not of as great importance, and that the pleasure of the child is not of equal value with that of the greatest potentate that ever ruled; while as to the amount of enjoyment derived, there can be no doubt. "And what time is the work to go home, miss?" said Matt, after contriving with great difficulty to make the wild quadruped use his four supports in the way intended by his manufacturer--the beast's idea being that its nose was the proper front rest for its body, and that by rights it was a tripod. "I'm afraid I shall not be ready before eight," said Lucy, bending to her task. "I'll be here to the moment, brushed up and smart," said the old man. "Why, how proud you ought to be of having such a bodyguard, Miss Lucy!" The girl looked up and smiled, half sadly, at the old man as she held out her hand, which he took in his own for a moment, kissed respectfully, and then he shuffled from the room. Ten minutes after, old Matt's step was again heard upon the stairs, and he directly after appeared with a pot of porter in one hand, and something tied up in a cotton handkerchief in the other; while, as he entered, he glanced stealthily from face to face to see what effect his proceedings would have before he spoke. "You see, Mr Hardon, sir, it's a busy morning with me, and as I'm so far from my lodging--what a fib!" he thought to himself--"I thought I'd ask the favour of being allowed to have a bite here." Of course there was no objection raised, and the old man's roast potatoes were soon warming, while Lucy left her work to frizzle the large portion of prime steak over the fire.