She caught my eye in the glass. I made another curtsey.
''Shall I go, miss?'' I said.
She stepped back. ''Stay,'' she said, waving her hand, ''and put my rooms in order, will you?''
She went to the door. At the handle, however, she stopped. She said,－思－兔－網－文－檔－共－享－與－在－線－閱－讀－
''I hope you will be happy here, Susan.'' Now she was blushing again. My own cheek cooled, when I saw that. ''I hope your aunt, in London, will not miss you too greatly. It was an aunt, I think, that Mr Rivers mentioned?'' She lowered her eyes. ''I hope you found Mr Rivers quite well, when you saw him?''
She let the question fall, like it was nothing to her; and I knew confidence men who did the same, dropping One good shilling among a pile of snide, to make all the coins seem honest. As if she gave a fig, for me and my old aunty!
I said, ''He was very well, miss. And sent his compliments.''
She had opened the door now, and half-hid herself behind it. ''Did he truly?'' she said.
''Truly, miss.''
She put her brow against the wood. ''I think he is kind,'' she said softly.
I remembered him squatting at the side of that kitchen chair, his hand reaching high beneath the layers of petticoat, saying, You sweet bitch.
''I''m sure he''s very kind, miss,'' I said.
Then, from somewhere in the house there came the quick, peevish tinkling