"My goodness gracious, Master Thurstan, when will you learn to
leave off meddling with other folks' business? Here, Ben! help me
up with these trunks." The little narrow passage was cleared, and
Miss Benson took Ruth into the sitting-room. There were only two
sitting-rooms on the ground-floor, one behind the other. Out of
the back room the kitchen opened, and for this reason the back
parlour was used as the family sitting-room; or else, being, with
its garden aspect, so much the pleasanter of the two, both Sally
and Miss Benson would have appropriated it for Mr. Benson's
study. As it was, the front room, which looked to the street, was
his room; and many a person coming for help--help of which giving
money was the lowest kind--was admitted, and let forth by Mr.
Benson, unknown to any one else in the house. To make amends for
his having the least cheerful room on the ground-floor, he had
the garden bedroom, while his sister slept over his study. There
were two more rooms again over these, with sloping ceilings,
though otherwise large and airy. The attic looking into the
garden was the spare bedroom; while the front belonged to Sally.
There was no room over the kitchen, which was, in fact, a
supplement to the house. The sitting-room was called by the
pretty, old-fashioned name of the parlour, while Mr. Benson's
room was styled the study.
The curtains were drawn in the parlour; there was a bright fire
and a clean hearth; indeed, exquisite cleanliness seemed the very
spirit of the household, for the door which was open to the
kitchen showed a delicately-white and spotless floor, and bright
glittering tins, on which the ruddy firelight danced.
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