One afternoon, as Golda was sleeping in her kitchen, she was awakened by a knock at the door. Going to open it, she found Hetty Finch waiting there, neatly clad in a brown tailor-made coat and skirt, very smart, with a trim little feathered hat on her head. Golda's thoughts flew to Mendel, and her first inclination was to slam the door in Hetty's face, but, remembering that the boy was out, she admitted her. Hetty followed Golda into the kitchen and stood looking round it with obvious disappointment. She had not imagined the Kühlers to be so poor. "I promised Ma I would call," she said, taking the chair which Golda dusted for her. "And how is your Ma?" asked Golda. "She's given up the house and gone into a hotel as manageress," replied Hetty, lying as usual, for her mother had been sold up and had taken a place as barmaid in a tavern. "And I've come to London to earn my living. Ma gave me fourteen shillings, and that was all she could do for me. Still, I'm off her hands now." Golda asked her what she was going to do, and she said she thought of going into service until she had had a look round. Where was she living? She had taken a room with some friends, lodgers of Ma's, off Stepney Green. Conversation was lifeless and desultory until Issy came into the room, when she brightened up, but he was overcome with his old terror of the girl and soon hurried away. Then she noticed the pictures on the wall and asked if they were Mendel's. Golda refused flatly to talk about them, but Hetty persisted and would talk of nothing else. Jacob came in and she made him talk about Mendel, and she made herself so charming to him and flattered his simple vanity so grossly that presently Golda was staggered by the sight of him making tea with his own hands and pouring it out for the visitor. "Yes," said Jacob, "the boy did all those before he was fourteen. He will get on, that boy. He is bound to get on, but I shall not live to see him in his glory." "I think they're lovely," said Hetty, sipping her tea. And she went on chattering vivaciously until Jacob was called away to the workshop, when once again conversation became lifeless and desultory. Golda made one excuse after another to try to get rid of her, but Hetty would not budge. At last there came the sound of Mendel's key in the door. Golda bustled out of the room and whispered to him:-- "You must not come in. I have visitors and there are letters waiting for you upstairs." But Mendel had seen a girl sitting in the kitchen and he wanted to know whether she was pretty or not. She turned and he saw that she was charmingly pretty. He brushed by his mother. He felt at once that he had made a good impression, and, indeed, all Hetty's dreams and fancies were more than realized, though she was a little affronted and disappointed by the poorness of his clothes. "It is Hetty Finch," said Golda, "from Margate." Mendel had had Issy's account of Hetty and he was on his guard at once.