When his landlady brought up his breakfast on the following morning, she informed him in a severe tone, that Mrs. Stubbs was down below and would be glad to hear what were his intentions with regard to her misguided daughter, as she had to return to Settlefield by the twelve o’clock train. “My intentions are, as I told the woman last night, to provide for Hannah,” replied the Professor, “Doctor Steinberg and I intend to take a house and live together for the future, and we shall engage Hannah to do our housework, and pay her at the rate of twenty pounds a year. Will that satisfy her mother?” As Hannah had never received more than ten pounds before, Mrs. Battleby said that she considered the Sig-nor’s offer to be very handsome, adding “that she didn’t know ’ow it ’appened, but some people was so lucky, they seemed allays to fall on their feet.” But when she rejoined her crony, Mrs. Stubbs, her sentiments appeared to have undergone a change. “Now! wot wickedness do you think them two is up to?” she commenced. “The Professor’s been just a’telling me that ’e and ’is accomplish the Doctor, is going to set up ’ouse and keep Hannah atween ’em, and won’t they be up to all sorts of mischief, the three on ’em together! I’ll tell you what it is, Mrs. Stubbs, that gal of yourn is right-down ’ardened, she is, and don’t want no ’ome, nor mother, nor nothink! She’d rayther be off with them two old scamps, so let ’er go, says I, till she comes back to ’er senses.” “Well, if she’s got another sitivation, it’s all as I looks for, for the gal must earn her living and learn to look arter ’erself into the bargain. Joe Brushwood, he seems quite set against ’er like, and wouldn’t come over this morning, though I arsked ’im ever so! ’Owever, if Hannah’s pervided for, that’s all I arsks and I shall tell ’er father as it’s all right, and she don’t want to marry Joe, for men are so inquisitive and troublesome, there’s no a’bearing ’em. Well! good-bye, Mrs. Battleby, and please to tell my gal as she’s seen the larst of me and the rest, for we repugniates ’er!” And gathering her Scotch plaid shawl about her, Mrs. Stubbs laboured up the area steps and was lost to view. Hannah did not come down to her breakfast that morning, but appeared an hour later, with red eyes, a swollen nose, and blubber lips that looked as if she must keep them open in order to breathe. She did not speak for some time after she entered the kitchen, and when she did, it was to ask when Mrs. Battleby expected her mother to call. “Your mother!” exclaimed the landlady, in her shrill voice, “why, she’s been and gone this hour!” “_Gone!_” cried Hannah, “and won’t she come back? Shan’t I see ’er again?”