I want to brush this mud off my trousers.

Is the clothes-brush here ?" "Yes, dearest one," said the unsuspecting Malka.
Michael winked imperceptibly, flicked his trousers, and without further parley ran across the diagonal to Milly's house.

Five minutes afterwards a deputation, consisting of a char-woman, waited upon Malka and said: "Missus says will you please come over, as baby is a-cryin' for its grandma." "Ah, that must be another pin," said Malka, with a gleam of triumph at her victory.

But she did not budge.

At the end of five minutes she rose solemnly, adjusted her wig and her dress in the mirror, put on her bonnet, brushed away a non-existent speck of dust from her left sleeve, put a peppermint in her mouth, and crossed the Square, carrying the clothes-brush in her hand.