who formed the staff of domestics regarded her as quite a

Sorceress, or Cinderella’s Godmother: who would send out for a

fowl, a rabbit, a vegetable or two from the garden, and change

them into anything she pleased.

On Sundays, Miss Pross dined at the Doctor’s table, but on

other days persisted in taking her meals at unknown periods,

either in the lower regions, or in her own room on the second

floora blue chamber, to which no one but her Ladybird ever

gained admittance. On this occasion, Miss Pross, responding to

Ladybird’s pleasant face and pleasant efforts to please her, unbent

exceedingly; so the dinner was very pleasant, too.

It was an oppressive day, and, after dinner, Lucie proposed that

the wine should be carried out under the plane-tree, and they

should sit there in the air. As everything turned upon her, and

revolved about her, they went out under the plane-tree, and she

carried the wine down for the special benefit of Mr. Lorry. She

had installed herself, some time before, as Mr. Lorry’s cupbearer;

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and while they sat under the plane-tree, talking, she kept his glass

replenished. Mysterious backs and ends of houses peeped at them

as they talked, and the plane-tree whispered to them in its own

way above their heads.

Still, the Hundreds of people did not present themselves. Mr.