’Indigestion?  Much you simple country people can know about that!  You should see what devils of indigestions we get in high life—­eating ’normous great dinners and suppers that require clever physicians to carry ’em off, or else they’d carry us off with gout next day; and waking in the morning with such a splitting headache, and dry throat, and inward cusses about human nature, that you feel all the world like some great lord.  However, now let’s go down again.’

‘No, no, no!’ said the unhappy maiden imploringly.  ‘Hark!’

They listened again.  The voices of the musician and poetess had changed:  there was a decided frigidity in their tone—­then came a louder expression—­then a silence.

‘You needn’t be afeard,’ said Joey.  ’They won’t fight; bless you, they busts out quarrelling like this times and times when they’ve been over-friendly, but it soon gets straight with ’em again.’

There was now a quick walk across the room, and Joey and his sister drew down their heads out of sight.  Then the room door was slammed, quick footsteps went along the hall, the front door closed just as loudly, and Christopher’s tread passed into nothing along the pavement.

’That’s rather a wuss one than they mostly have; but Lord, ’tis nothing at all.’

‘I don’t much like biding here listening!’ said Picotee.

’O, ‘tis how we do all over the West End,’ said Joey. ’’Tis yer ignorance of town life that makes it seem a good deal to ‘ee.’

’You can’t make much boast about town life; for you haven’t left off talking just as they do down in Wessex.’

’Well, I own to that—­what’s fair is fair, and ’tis a true charge; but if I talk the Wessex way ’tisn’t for want of knowing better; ’tis because my staunch nater makes me bide faithful to our old ancient institutions.  You’d soon own ’twasn’t ignorance in me, if you knowed what large quantities of noblemen I gets mixed up with every day.  In fact ’tis thoughted here and there that I shall do very well in the world.’

‘Well, let us go down,’ said Picotee.  ’Everything seems so overpowering here.’

’O, you’ll get broke in soon enough.  I felt just the same when I first entered into society.’

‘Do you think Berta will be angry with me?  How does she treat you?’

’Well, I can’t complain.  You see she’s my own flesh and blood, and what can I say?  But, in secret truth, the wages is terrible low, and barely pays for the tobacco I consooms.’

‘O Joey, you wicked boy!  If mother only knew that you smoked!’

’I don’t mind the wickedness so much as the smell.  And Mrs. Petherwin has got such a nose for a fellow’s clothes.  ’Tis one of the greatest knots in service—­the smoke question.  ’Tis thoughted that we shall make a great stir about it in the mansions of the nobility soon.’

’How much more you know of life than I do—­you only fourteen and me seventeen!’