Hannah’s eyes looked greedy, and her big mouth commenced to work in anticipation. She was thoroughly sensual, and the good things before her appealed to her senses much more than the honour of being asked to take a chair in the presence of gentlemen. She sidled into a seat next the Professor, and having drunk a large cup of tea, found her tongue and her presence of mind, simultaneously. “Well! Sir, it’s this way,” she commenced, “I’ve been in the ’abit, as I told you and this gennelman, of seeing shadders, and ’earing woices and sich-like ever since I was a kiddy, but I don’t dare say nothing about them at ’ome, cos they do go on so dreadful about it, I’m quite afeared on ’em. But I haven’t often seen ’em so distinct-like as since I’ve been ’ere, and they scare me mortal. The other evening I seen that lady I spoke of, on the landing, and blest if she ain’t been to my bed each night since, and looking at me terrible with ’er big, black eyes through ’er voil.” “Big, black eyes,” reiterated the Professor. “O! Hannah! do try to remember what she was like!” “I ain’t no cause to remember, Sir,” replied the girl, “she’s scared me too much for that! I only wishes as I could forget ’er. She is a tall lady, and foreign looking, summat like an Injun with a white skin. She’s got big, black eyes as look you through and through, and a thin nose, pointed-like, and little white ’ands, O! so small, and long black ’air ’anging down ’er back, and plaited in a tail. There was a white voil over her face and ’ead, but I could see ’er quite plain under it.” “And what age--how old should you say she was, Hannah?” asked the Professor, breathlessly. “Well, Sir, I ain’t good at ages, but somwheres between twenty-five and thirty, I should say she was. She ain’t old anyways, nor yet so very young, neither!” “My God!” cried Ricardo, as he bent his face over his hands. “It is she--it is my Leonora!” “I wish she’d come to you, Sir, then, instead of me!” said Hannah, stolidly, with her mouth full of buttered crumpet. “Ricardo!” exclaimed Steinberg, laying his hand on the shoulder of his friend. “Calm yourself! Do not be too sanguine! This may be a wrong description, or if correct, that of another person. Remember, that any unusual anxiety to see any particular person, is more apt to mar than to promote your desire.” “Yes! yes! I know, but to think she may be so near me!” “She has probably, if your own theories are correct, been always near you, though you have been unable to discern it. We must expect this girl to see a great deal more than we can ever hope to do.” “No doubt, but the description is so like! Those little white hands! how well I recall them, and the piercing, black eyes. Hannah! did this lady say nothing to you?”