Supposing that Mrs.Lessways refused to have her,--well, Florrie might go on to a 'potbank' and come to harm, or she might engage herself with tradespeople, where notoriously the work was never finished, or she might even be forced into a public-house.

Her aunt knew that they wanted a servant at the "Queen Adelaide," where the wages would be pretty high.
But no! No niece of hers should ever go into service at a public-house if she could help it! What with hot rum and coffee to be ready for customers at half-past five of a morning, and cleaning up at nights after closing, a poor girl would never see her bed! Whereas at Mrs.
Lessways'...! So Mrs.Lessways took Florrie in order to save her from slavery.
The slim child was pretty, with graceful and eager movements, and certainly a rapid comprehension.

Her grey eyes sparkled, and her brown hair was coquettishly tied up, rather in the manner of a horse's tail on May Day.

She had arrived all by herself in the morning, with a tiny bundle, and she made a remarkably neat appearance--if you did not look at her boots, which had evidently been somebody else's a long time before.

Hilda had been clearly aware of a feeling of pleasure at the prospect of this young girl's presence in the house.
Hilda now saw her in another aspect.