I have never been able to comprehend what pleasure men, especially men of mature years, can find in telling stories, and laughing, drinking, smoking tobacco, and singing with one another. Women find their pleasures in more sober guise: they may lie in small things, but they are innocent. Think what this world would be were the women to live like the men, as disorderly, as wastefully, as noisily! "Now, good woman," said my uncle to Mrs. Gambit, "are you satisfied that my niece is in safe hands?" "The hands are good enough," replied the woman, looking round her; "but the place----" "The place is what it is," said the Doctor sharply; "we cannot alter the place." "Then I will go, sir." With that she gave me my parcel of money, kissed me and bade me farewell, curtsied to the ladies, and left us. "I shall send up, ladies," said the Doctor, "a few trifles of additional furniture: a couple of chairs, one of them an arm-chair--but not for this great, strong girl, if you please--a bed, a shelf for books; some cups and saucers we shall provide for you. And now, ladies, I wish you good-morning. And for your present wants--I mean the wants of this hungry country maid, who looks as if mutton hung in toothsome legs on every verdant hedge--this will, I think, suffice;" he placed money in Mrs. Esther's hand--I could not but think how he had earned that money--and left us. When he was gone the two ladies looked at each other with a strange, sad, and wistful expression, and Mrs. Esther, with the guineas in her hand, burst into tears. CHAPTER VI. HOW KITTY BEGAN TO ENJOY THE LIBERTIES OF THE FLEET. Her tears disconcerted me extremely. What did she cry for? But she presently recovered and dried her eyes. Then she looked at me thoughtfully, and said-- "Sister, I suppose this child has been accustomed to have a dinner every day?" "Surely," replied Mrs. Deborah. "And to-day we shall dine." To-day we should all dine? Were there, then, days when we should all go hungry? "You must know, my dear," Mrs. Esther explained in a soft, sad voice, "that we are very poor. We have, therefore, on many days in a week to go without meat. Otherwise we should have to do worse"--she looked round the room and shuddered--"we should have to give up the independence of our solitude. Hunger, my child, is not the worst thing to bear." "A piece of roasting-beef, sister," said Mrs. Deborah, who had now assumed a hat and a cloak, "with a summer cabbage, and a pudding in the gravy." "And I think, sister," said Mrs. Esther, her eyes lighting up eagerly, "that we might take our dinner--the child might like to take her dinner--at twelve to-day."