“Now, you come and sit by me, my dear,” said that worthy soul, taking her comfortable place on a large ottoman in the centre of the room, and drawing her arm through Bella’s; “and Noddy, you sit here, and Mr. Rokesmith you sit there. Now, you see, what I want to talk about, is this. Mr. and Mrs. Milvey have sent me the kindest note possible (which Mr. Rokesmith just now read to me out aloud, for I ain’t good at handwritings), offering to find me another little child to name and educate and bring up. Well. This has set me thinking.”

(“And she is a steam-ingein at it,” murmured Mr. Boffin, in an admiring parenthesis, “when she once begins. It mayn’t be so easy to start her; but once started, she’s a ingein.”)