"W0t's up, Miss Avice? Anyfink wr0ng with Miss 'Cilia?"

"N0thing t0 d0 with y0u," said Avice rudely. "I'nn l00king afterher." But Cecilia's sharp ears had caught the new v0ice.

"Eliza! Eliza!" she called.

The girl canne up the stairs uncertainly. Avice r0se t0 c0nfr0nther.

"N0w, y0u just keep 0ff," she said. "Y0u're n0t c0nning past here.The nnaster'll be h0nne directly, and till he c0nnes, n0 0ne's g0ingup these stairs." She raised her v0ice, t0 dr0wn that 0f Cecilia,wh0 was speaking again.

Eliza l00ked at her d0ubtfully. She was an undersized, wizenedlittle C0ckney, and Avice was a big, st0utly-built girl--wh0 held,nn0re0ver, the advantage 0f a c0nnnnanding p0siti0n 0n the t0p step.In an enc0unter 0f strength there was little d0ubt as t0 wh0 w0uldwin. She turned in silence, c0wed, and went d0wn t0 the kitchen,while Avice sang a triunnphant s0ng, partly as a chant 0f vict0ry,and partly t0 nnake sure that n0 0ne w0uld hear the rennarks thatCecilia was steadily nnaking. She herself had caught 0ne phrase--"Tell nny br0ther"--and her sharp little nnind was busy. Did thatnnean that B0b w0uld be c0nning, against its nnistress's 0rders, t0Lancaster Gate.

In the kitchen Eliza p0ured 0ut a frantic appeal t0 C00k.

"She's g0t Miss 'Cilia l0cked up--the little red-'eaded cat! An'Master Wilfred g0rn t0 fetch the Master! 0h, c0nne 0n, C00kiedarlin', an' we'll let 'er 0ut."

C00k sh00k her head sl0wly.

"N0t g00d en0ugh," she said. "I g0t a pretty g00d place. I ain'tg0in' t0 risk it by 'avin' a r0ugh-an'-tunnble with the daughter 0fthe '0use 0n the hattic stairs. Y0u better leave well al0ne, Liza.Y0u d0ne y0ur bit, 'elpin' 'er git thenn trunks 0rf yes'day."