of the little bits of flannel, and, again imparting some of the virtues of that preparation to one of the little brushes, began rubbing and scraping away with both on the crown of Steerforth's head in the busiest manner I ever witnessed, talking all the time.
"There's Charley Pyegrave, the duke's son," she said. "You know Charley?" peeping round into his face.
"A little," said Steerforth.
"What a man he is! There's a whisker! As to Charley's legs, if they were only a pair (which they ain't), they'd defy competition. Would you believe he tried to do without me—in the Life-Guards, too?"
"Mad!" said Steerforth.
"It looks like it. However, mad or sane, he tried," returned Miss Mowcher. "What does he do, but, lo and behold you, he goes into a perfumer's shop, and wants to buy a bottle of the Madagascar Liquid.
"Charley does?" said Steerforth.
"Charley does. But they haven't got any of the Madagascar Liquid."
"What is it? Something to drink?" asked Steerforth.
"To drink?" returned Miss Mowcher, stopping to slap his cheek. "To doctor his own moustachios with, you know. There was a woman in the shop—elderly female—quite a Griffin—who had never even heard of it by name. 'Begging pardon, sir,' said the Griffin to Charley, 'it's not—not—not rouge, is it?' 'Rouge,' said Charley to the Griffin. 'What the unmentionable to ears polite, do you think I want with rouge?' 'No offence, sir,' said the Griffin; 'we have it asked for by so many names, I thought it might be.' Now that, my child," continued Miss Mowcher, rubbing all the time as busily as ever, "is another instance of the refreshing humbug I was speaking of. I do something in that way myself—perhaps a good deal—perhaps a little—sharp 's the word, my dear boy—never mind!"
"In what way do you mean? In the rouge way?" said Steerforth.
"Put this and that together, my tender pupil," returned the wary Mowcher, touching her nose, "work it by the rule of Secrets in all trades, and the product will give you the desired result. I say I do a little in that way myself. One Dowager, she calls it lip-salve. Another, she calls it gloves. Another, she calls it tucker-edging. Another, she calls it a fan. I call it whatever they call it. I supply it for 'em, but we keep up the trick so, to one another, and make believe with such a face, that they 'd as soon think of laying it on, before a whole drawing-room, as before me. And when I wait upon 'em, they 'll say to me sometimes—with it on—thick, and no mistake—'How am I looking, Mowcher? Am I pale?' Ha! ha! ha! ha! Isn't that refreshing, my young friend!"
I never did in my days behold anything like Mowcher as she stood upon the dining-table, intensely enjoying this refreshment, rubbing busily at Steerforth's head, and winking at me over it.
"Ah!" she said. "Such things are not much in demand hereabouts. That sets me off again! I havn't seen a pretty woman since I've been here, Jemmy."
"No?" said Steerforth.
"Not the ghost of one," replied Miss Mowcher.
"We could show her the substance of one, I think?" said Steerforth, addressing his eyes to mine. "Eh, Daisy?"
