Miriam's Schooling and Other PapersWhite, William Hale
General
Miriam's Schooling and Other Papers
White, William Hale
Short stories
"Better be off before it gets dark. Eight o'clock sharp to-morrow
morning, Andrew. Sharp's the word. Breakfast before you come. My boy
will show you your quarters. Needn't take them unless you like them."
A cab was called, their luggage was put upon it, and they were landed
in Nelson Square. The lodgings were three rooms at the back of the
house, two of them garrets at the top, and the third a small
sitting-room on the ground floor, behind the front parlour. They
looked rather dismal, and Miriam inquired whether they could not have
front rooms.
"Oh yes, ma'am; but they would come more expensive. Mrs. Dabb told me
she didn't think you would like to pay more than thirteen shillings and
sixpence a week without extras, which is exceedingly cheap for this
part, and the front rooms corresponding would be five-and-twenty
shillings."
This settled the question. They had fancied an outlook on a gay
promenade, and they had in its place a waste expanse of dirty dull
roofs and smoking chimneys. If they looked down below, they saw a
series of small courtyards used for the purpose of storing refuse which
could not be put in the dustbin--bottles, broken crockery, and odd bits
of rusty iron. The first thing was to provide the breakfast for the
following morning. This their landlady offered to do for them. The
next thing was to go to bed utterly wearied and worn out. They both
slept soundly, and both woke much refreshed and full of buoyant hope.
A pleasant and seductive vista lay before them--seductive and pleasant,
although they were in Nelson Square, as that which we see in one of
Turner's Italian pictures--a temple at the side, a lake in front and
beyond it a valley embosomed in woods and mountains, basking in golden
light.
They planned the day. Miriam had to lay in her stock of eatables, and
of course must call on her aunt. At twenty minutes to eight Andrew
started. The way was easy to find, and he was at his uncle's five
minutes before his time. The shopmen were already there, and Andrew
had rather a rough greeting.
"An't yer brought yer warming-pan with yer, young 'un? You'll find it
cool a sittin' still all day long."
Andrew then found out that the desk up aloft was really his appointed
post.
"Don't yer be so free, Bill," said the other; "he's the govnor's nevvy.
You'd better mind what you're at, old man, now we've got the nevvy
here."
"I suppose you'll be a pardner next week," continued the first with a
bow.
The truth was that Mr. Dabb had told his men that he was expecting a
nephew "of his missus's," and that "he was took on as a kind of charity
like."
Mr. Dabb now appeared.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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