Mr Simple, will you excuse me ?" and then, with a great deal of flirtation and laughing about her ankles, and requesting me, as a favour, to turn my face away, Mrs Trotter ascended the ladder.
As the reader may wish to know what sort of looking personage she was, I will take this opportunity to describe her.

Her figure was very good, and at one period of her life I thought her face must have been very handsome; at the time I was introduced to her, it showed the ravages of time or hardship very distinctly; in short, she might be termed a faded beauty, flaunting in her dress, and not very clean in her person.
"Charming woman, Mrs Trotter, is she not, Mr Simple ?" said the master's mate; to which, of course, I immediately acquiesced.

"Now, Mr Simple," continued he, "there are a few arrangements which I had better mention while Mrs Trotter is away, for she would be shocked at our talking about such things.

Of course, the style of living which we indulge in is rather expensive.

Mrs Trotter cannot dispense with her tea and her other little comforts; at the same time I must put you to no extra expense--I had rather be out of pocket myself.