"'That is for you to say. You see, Mrs. Middlemore, the body of M. Felix could not have been removed without a certain noise. Now, if you were awake you must have heard it.'
"'I didn't 'ear nothing. I'll take my Bible oath of it.'
"'At what hour did you wake this morning?'
"'At 'alf-past eight, and I got up at once.'
"'It is, sir, but I've got no one to attend to now.'
"'You were not in any way disturbed in the night?'
"'Love your 'eart, sir! Sophy wouldn't wake up if cannon-balls was firing all round her!'
"'As a matter of fact, has she told you she heard nothing last night?'
"'I won't say that. I ain't 'ad time to arks her.'
"'I'll ask her myself if you've no objection. Stop here for me; I shall not be gone long.'
"'I can't stop 'ere alone, sir. I'll come down, and keep in the passage while you speak to Sophy.'
"They went down together, and Mrs. Middlemore remained outside while our reporter entered the kitchen.
"His entrance aroused Sophy, who had been sitting in a chair, apparently asleep, in the same state of untidiness as he had left her. She fell on her knees with a guilty air, and began to rake out the stove, making a great rattle with the poker.
"'Fire not lit yet, Sophy?' said our reporter, much amused.
"She looked up with a sly look, and seeing that he was not going to scold her, rubbed her nose with the poker and smiled boldly at him.
"'Not yet, old 'un,' she replied, making no attempt to continue her work.
"To be addressed as 'old 'un' must have been especially humiliating to our reporter, who is a good-looking fellow of eight-and-twenty, but he did not resent it.
"'Wood won't catch, I suppose,' he said. 'Too damp, eh?'
"'Soppin',' said Sophy, though as a matter of fact there was no wood before her.
"'What are you looking so hard at me for?' asked our reporter. 'You'll make me blush presently.'
"'_You_ blush!' laughed Sophy. 'I like that, I do. Look 'ere, old 'un. When you wants to blush, you'd better 'ire somebody to do it for you. _I'll_ do it for tuppence a time.'
"'You would have to wash your face first,' said our reporter, entering into the humor of the situation.
"'I wouldn't mind doing that,' said Sophy, staring harder than ever at him, 'if you'd make it wuth my while. As for lookin' at you, a cat may look at a king.'