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The Further Adventures of Toad
"Allthegentrycometome—wouldn’tgotoanyoneelseiftheywerepaid,theyknowmesowell.Yousee,Iunderstandmyworkthoroughly,andattendtoitallmyself.Washing,ironing,clear-starching,makingupgents’fineshirtsforeveningwear—everything’sdoneundermyowneye!"
"Butsurelyyoudon’tdoallthatworkyourself,ma’am?"askedthebarge-womanrespectfully.
"O,Ihavegirls,"saidToadlightly:"twentygirlsorthereabouts,alwaysatwork.Butyouknowwhatgirlsare,ma’am!Nastylittlehussies,that’swhatIcall’em!"
"SodoI,too,"saidthebarge-womanwithgreatheartiness."ButIdaresayyousetyourstorights,theidletrollops!Andareyouveryfondofwashing?"
"Iloveit,"saidToad."Isimplydoteonit.NeversohappyaswhenI’vegotbotharmsinthewash-tub.But,then,itcomessoeasytome!Notroubleatall!Arealpleasure,Iassureyou,ma’am!"
"Whatabitofluck,meetingyou!"observedthebarge-woman,thoughtfully."Aregularpieceofgoodfortuneforbothofus!"
"Why,whatdoyoumean?"askedToad,nervously.
"Well,lookatme,now,"repliedthebarge-woman."Ilikewashing,too,justthesameasyoudo;andforthatmatter,whetherIlikeitornotIhavegottodoallmyown,naturally,movingaboutasIdo.
