Once, among the heterogeneous crowd of inmates there appeared a dancing-master.

Her sister had a great desire to learn the dancing-master's art, and seemed to have a taste that way.

At thirteen years old, the Child of the Marshalsea presented herself to the dancing-master, with a little bag in her hand, and preferred her humble petition.
'If you please, I was born here, sir.' 'Oh! You are the young lady, are you ?' said the dancing-master, surveying the small figure and uplifted face.
'Yes, sir.' 'And what can I do for you ?' said the dancing-master.
'Nothing for me, sir, thank you,' anxiously undrawing the strings of the little bag; 'but if, while you stay here, you could be so kind as to teach my sister cheap--' 'My child, I'll teach her for nothing,' said the dancing-master, shutting up the bag.

He was as good-natured a dancing-master as ever danced to the Insolvent Court, and he kept his word.

The sister was so apt a pupil, and the dancing-master had such abundant leisure to bestow upon her (for it took him a matter of ten weeks to set to his creditors, lead off, turn the Commissioners, and right and left back to his professional pursuits), that wonderful progress was made.