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Gissing, George, 1857-1903

"The Nether World"

And you'll be sure to pull the door to? And see
that the area-gate's fastened.'
'Can't you find a few more orders?' observed Samuel.
'Hold your tongue! Jane doesn't mind; do you, Jane? Now, Sam, are
you ready? Bless the man, if he hasn't got a great piece of bread
sticking in his whiskers! How _did_ it get there? Off you go!'
Jane followed them, and stood at the front door for a moment,
watching them as they departed.
Then she went upstairs. On the first floor the doors of the two
rooms stood open, and the rooms were bare. The lodgers who had
occupied this part of the house had recently left; a card was again
hanging in the window of Bessie's parlour. Jane passed up the
succeeding flight and entered the chamber which looked out upon
Hanover Street. The truckle-bed on which her grandfather slept had
been arranged for the day some two hours ago; Snowdon rose at six,
and everything was orderly in the room when Jane came to prepare
breakfast an hour later. At present the old man was sitting by the
open window, smoking a pipe. He spoke a few words with reference to
the Byasses, then seemed to resume a train of thought, and for a
long time there was unbroken silence.


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