MISTRESS
AND
MAID
.
A
Household
Story
.
BY
MISS
MULOCH
,
AUTHOR
OF
"
JOHN
HALIFAX
,
GENTLEMAN
,
"
"
OLIVE
,
"
"
THE
OGILVIES
,
"
"
THE
HEAD
OF
THE
FAMILY
,
"
"
NOTHING
NEW
,
"
"
AGATHA
'S
HUSBAND
,
"
etc
,
,
+c
.
RICHMOND
:
WEST
+
JOHNSTON
,
PUBLISHERS
.
1864.
Printed
at
the
Lynchburg
"
Virginian
"
Book
and
Job
Office
.
CHAPTER
I
.
She
was
a
rather
tall
,
awkward
,
and
strongly-built
girl
of
about
fifteen
.
This
was
the
first
impression
the
"
maid
"
gave
to
her
"
mistresses
,
"
the
Misses
Leaf
,
when
she
entered
their
kitchen
,
accompanied
by
her
mother
,
a
widow
and
washer-woman
,
by
name
Mrs.
Hand
.
I
must
confess
,
when
they
saw
the
damsel
,
the
ladies
felt
a
certain
twinge
of
doubt
as
to
whether
they
had
not
been
rash
in
offering
to
take
her
;
whether
it
would
not
have
been
wiser
to
have
gone
on
in
their
old
way
—
now
,
alas
!
grown
into
a
very
old
way
,
so
as
almost
to
make
them
forget
they
had
ever
had
any
other
—
and
done
without
a
servant
still
.
Many
consultations
had
the
three
sisters
held
before
such
a
revolutionary
extravagance
was
determined
on
.
But
Miss
Leaf
was
beginning
both
to
look
and
to
feel
"
not
so
young
as
she
had
been
;
"
Miss
Selina
ditto
;
though
,
being
still
under
forty
,
she
would
not
have
acknowledged
it
for
the
world
.
And
Miss
Hilary
young
,
bright
,
and
active
as
she
was
,
could
by
no
possibility
do
every
thing
that
was
to
be
done
in
the
little
establishment
:
be
,
for
instance
,
in
three
places
at
once
—
in
the
school-room
,
teaching
little
boys
and
girls
,
in
the
kitchen
cooking
dinner
,
and
in
the
rooms
up
stairs
busy
at
house-maid
's
work
.
Besides
,
much
of
her
time
was
spent
in
waiting
upon
"
poor
Selina
,
"
who
frequently
was
,
or
fancied
her
self
,
too
ill
to
take
any
part
in
either
the
school
or
house
duties
.
Though
,
the
thing
being
inevitable
,
she
said
little
about
it
,
Miss
Leaf
's
heart
was
often
sore
to
see
Hilary
's
pretty
hands
smeared
with
blacking
of
grates
,
and
roughened
with
scouring
of
floors
.
To
herself
this
sort
of
thing
had
become
natural
—
but
Hilary
!
All
the
time
of
Hilary
's
childhood
,
the
youngest
of
the
family
had
of
course
,
been
spared
all
house-work
;
and
afterward
her
studies
had
left
no
time
for
it
.
For
she
was
a
clever
girl
,
with
a
genuine
love
of
knowledge
Latin
,
Greek
,
and
even
the
higher
branches
of
arithmetic
and
mathematics
,
were
not
beyond
her
range
;
and
this
she
found
much
more
interesting
than
washing
dishes
or
sweeping
floors
.
True
,
she
always
did
whatever
domestic
duty
she
was
told
to
do
;
but
her
bent
was
not
in
the
household
line
.
She
had
only
lately
learned
to
"
see
dust
,
"
to
make
a
pudding
,
to
iron
a
shirt
;
and
,
moreover
,
to
reflect
,
as
she
woke
up
to
the
knowledge
of
how
these
things
should
be
done
,
and
how
necessary
they
were
,
what
must
have
been
her
eldest
sister
's
lot
during
all
these
twenty
years
!
What
pains
,
what
weariness
,
what
eternal
toil
must
Johanna
have
silently
endured
in
order
to
do
all
those
things
which
till
now
had
seemed
to
do
themselves
!
Therefore
,
after
much
cogitation
as
to
the
best
and
most
prudent
way
to
amend
matters
,
and
perceiving
with
her
clear
common
sense
that
,
willing
as
she
might
be
to
work
in
the
kitchen
,
her
own
time
would
be
much
more
valuably
spent
in
teaching
their
growing
school
.
It
was
Hilary
who
these
Christmas
holidays
,
first
started
the
bold
idea
,
"
We
must
have
a
servant
;
"
and
therefore
,
it
being
necessary
to
begin
with
a
very
small
servant
on
very
low
wages
,
(
Ł3
per
annum
was
,
I
fear
the
maximum
)
,
did
they
take
this
Elizabeth
Hand
.
So
,
hanging
behind
her
parent
,
an
anxious-eyed
,
and
rather
sad-voiced
woman
,
did
Elizabeth
enter
the
kitchen
of
the
Misses
Leaf
.
The
ladies
were
all
there
.
Johanna
arranging
the
table
for
their
early
tea
:
Selina
lying
on
the
sofa
trying
to
cut
bread
and
butter
:
Hilary
on
her
knees
before
the
fire
,
making
the
bit
of
toast
,
her
eldest
sister
's
one
luxury
.
This
was
the
picture
that
her
three
mistresses
presented
to
Elizabeth
's
eyes
:
which
,
though
they
seemed
to
notice
nothing
,
must
,
in
reality
,
have
noticed
every
thing
.
"
I
've
brought
my
daughter
,
ma'am
,
as
you
sent
word
you
'd
take
on
trial
,
"
said
Mrs.
Hand
,
addressing
herself
to
Selina
,
who
,
as
the
tallest
,
the
best
dressed
,
and
the
most
imposing
,
was
usually
regarded
by
strangers
as
the
head
of
the
family
.
"
Oh
.
Joanna
,
my
dear
.
"
Miss
Leaf
came
forward
,
rather
uncertainly
,
for
she
was
of
a
shy
nature
,
and
had
been
so
long
accustomed
to
do
the
servant
's
work
of
the
household
,
that
she
felt
quite
awkward
in
the
character
of
mistress
.
Instinctively
she
hid
her
poor
hands
,
that
would
at
once
have
betrayed
her
to
the
sharp
eyes
of
the
working-woman
,
and
then
,
ashamed
of
her
momentary
false
pride
,
laid
them
outside
her
apron
and
sat
down
.
"
Will
you
take
a
chair
,
Mrs.
Hand
?
My
sister
told
you
.
I
believe
all
our
requirements
We
only
want
a
good
,
intelligent
girl
.
We
are
willing
to
teach
her
every
thing
.
"
"
Thank
you
,
kindly
;
and
I
be
willing
and
glad
for
her
to
learn
,
ma'am
,
"
replied
the
mother
,
her
sharp
and
rather
free
tone
subdued
in
spite
of
herself
by
the
gentle
voice
of
Miss
Leaf
.
Of
course
,
living
in
the
same
country
town
,
she
knew
all
about
the
three
school-mistresses
,
and
how
till
now
they
had
kept
no
servant
.
"
It
's
her
first
place
,
and
her
'll
be
awk'ard
at
first
,
most
like
.
Hold
up
your
head
,
Lizabeth
.
"
"
Is
her
name
Elizabeth
?
"
"
Far
too
long
and
too
fine
,
"
observed
Selina
from
the
sofa
.
"
Call
her
Betty
.
"
"
Any
thing
you
please
,
Miss
;
but
I
call
her
Lizabeth
.
It
wor
my
young
missis
'
name
in
my
first
place
,
and
I
never
had
a
second
.
"
"
We
will
call
her
Elizabeth
,
"
said
Miss
Leaf
,
with
the
gentle
decision
she
could
use
on
occasion
.
There
was
a
little
more
discussion
between
the
mother
and
the
future
mistress
as
to
holidays
,
Sundays
,
and
so
on
,
during
which
time
the
new
servant
stood
silent
and
impassive
in
the
door-way
between
the
back
kitchen
and
the
kitchen
,
or
,
as
it
is
called
in
those
regions
,
the
house-place
.
As
before
said
,
Elizabeth
was
by
no
means
,
a
personable
girl
,
and
her
clothes
did
not
set
her
off
to
advantage
.
Her
cotton
frock
hung
in
straight
lines
down
to
her
ankles
,
displaying
her
clumsily
shod
feet
and
woolen
stockings
;
above
it
was
a
pinafore
—
a
regular
child
's
pinafore
,
of
the
cheap
,
strong
,
blue-speckled
print
which
in
those
days
was
generally
worn
.
A
little
shabby
shawl
,
pinned
at
the
throat
,
and
pinned
very
carelessly
and
crookedly
,
with
an
old
black
bonnet
,
much
too
small
for
her
large
head
and
her
quantities
of
ill
kept
hair
,
completed
the
costume
.
It
did
not
impress
favorably
a
lady
who
,
being
,
or
rather
having
been
very
handsome
herself
,
was
as
much
alive
to
appearances
as
the
second
Miss
Leaf
.
She
made
several
rather
depreciatory
observations
,
and
insisted
strongly
that
the
new
servant
should
only
be
taken
"
on
trial
,
"
with
no
obligation
to
keep
her
a
day
longer
than
they
wished
.
Her
feeling
on
the
matter
communicated
itself
to
Johanna
,
who
closed
the
negotiation
with
Mrs.
Hand
,
by
saying
.
"
Well
,
let
us
hope
your
daughter
will
suit
us
.
We
will
give
her
a
fair
chance
at
all
events
.
"
"
Which
is
all
I
can
ax
for
,
Miss
Leaf
.
Her
bea
n't
much
to
look
at
,
but
her
's
willin
'
sharp
,
and
her
's
never
told
me
a
lie
in
her
life
.
Courtesy
to
thy
missis
,
and
say
thee'lt
do
thy
best
,
Lizabeth
.
"
Pulled
forward
Elizabeth
did
courtesy
,
but
she
never
offered
to
speak
.
And
Miss
Leaf
,
feeling
that
for
all
parties
the
interview
had
better
be
shortened
,
rose
from
her
chair
.
Mrs.
Hand
took
the
hint
and
departed
,
saying
only
,
"
Good-by
,
Lizabeth
,
"
with
a
nod
,
half-encouraging
,
half-admonitory
,
which
Elizabeth
silently
returned
.
That
was
all
the
parting
between
mother
and
daughter
;
they
neither
kissed
nor
shook
hands
,
which
undemonstrative
farewell
somewhat
surprised
Hilary
.
Now
,
Miss
Hilary
Leaf
had
all
this
while
gone
on
toasting
.
Luckily
for
her
bread
the
fire
was
low
and
black
;
meantime
,
from
behind
her
long
drooping
curls
(
which
Johanna
would
not
let
her
"
turn
up
,
"
though
she
was
twenty
)
,
she
was
making
her
observations
on
the
new
servant
.
It
might
be
that
,
possessing
more
head
than
the
one
and
more
heart
than
the
other
,
Hilary
was
gifted
with
deeper
perception
of
character
than
either
of
her
sisters
,
but
certainly
her
expression
,
as
she
watched
Elizabeth
,
was
rather
amused
and
kindly
that
dissatisfied
.
"
Now
,
girl
,
take
off
your
bonnet
,
"
said
Selina
,
to
whom
Johanna
had
silently
appealed
in
her
perplexity
as
to
the
next
proceeding
with
regard
to
the
new
member
of
the
household
.
Elizabeth
obeyed
,
and
then
stood
,
irresolute
,
awkward
,
and
wretched
to
the
last
degree
,
at
the
furthest
end
of
the
house-place
.
"
Shall
I
show
you
where
to
hang
up
your
things
?
"
said
Hilary
,
speaking
for
the
first
time
;
and
at
the
new
voice
,
so
quick
,
cheerful
,
and
pleasant
,
Elizabeth
visibly
started
.
Miss
Hilary
rose
from
her
knees
,
crossed
the
kitchen
,
took
from
the
girl
's
unresisting
hands
the
old
black
bonnet
and
shawl
,
and
hung
them
up
carefully
on
a
nail
behind
the
great
eight-day
clock
.
It
was
a
simple
action
,
done
quite
without
intention
,
and
accepted
without
acknowledgment
,
except
one
quick
glance
of
that
keen
,
yet
soft
grey
eye
;
but
years
and
years
after
Elizabeth
reminded
Hilary
of
it
.
And
now
Elizabeth
stood
forth
in
her
own
proper
likeness
,
unconcealed
by
bonnet
or
shawl
,
or
maternal
protection
.
The
pinafore
scarcely
covered
her
gaunt
neck
and
long
arms
;
that
tremendous
head
of
rough
,
dusky
hair
was
evidently
for
the
first
time
gathered
into
a
comb
.
Thence
elf
locks
escaped
in
all
directions
,
and
were
forever
being
pushed
behind
her
ears
,
or
rubbed
(
not
smoothed
;
there
was
nothing
smooth
about
her
)
back
from
her
forehead
,
which
,
Hilary
noticed
,
was
low
,
broad
,
and
full
.
The
rest
of
her
face
,
except
the
before-mentioned
eyes
was
absolutely
and
undeniably
plain
.
Her
figure
,
so
far
as
the
pinafore
exhibited
it
,
was
undeveloped
and
ungainly
,
the
chest
being
contracted
and
the
shoulders
rounded
,
as
if
with
carrying
children
or
other
weights
while
still
a
growing
girl
.
In
fact
,
nature
and
circumstances
had
apparently
united
in
dealing
unkindly
with
Elizabeth
Hand
.
Still
here
she
was
;
and
what
was
to
be
done
with
her
?
Having
sent
her
with
the
small
burden
,
which
was
apparently
all
her
luggage
,
to
the
little
room
—
formerly
a
box-closet
—
where
she
was
to
sleep
,
the
Misses
Leaf
—
or
as
facetious
neighbors
called
them
,
the
Miss
Leaves
—
took
serious
counsel
together
over
their
tea
.
Tea
itself
suggested
the
first
difficulty
.
They
were
always
in
the
habit
of
taking
that
meal
,
and
indeed
every
other
,
in
the
kitchen
.
It
saved
time
,
trouble
,
and
fire
,
besides
leaving
the
parlor
always
tidy
for
callers
,
chiefly
pupils
'
parents
,
and
preventing
these
latter
from
discovering
that
the
three
orphan
daughters
of
Henry
Leaf
,
Esq.
,
solicitor
,
and
sisters
of
Henry
Leaf
,
Junior
,
Esq.
,
also
solicitor
,
but
whose
sole
mission
in
life
seemed
to
have
been
to
spend
every
thing
,
make
every
body
miserably
,
marry
,
and
die
,
that
these
three
ladies
did
always
wait
upon
themselves
at
meal-time
,
and
did
sometimes
breakfast
without
butter
,
and
dine
without
meat
.
Now
this
system
would
not
do
any
longer
.
"
Besides
,
there
is
no
need
for
it
,
"
said
Hilary
,
cheerfully
.
"
I
am
sure
we
can
well
afford
both
to
keep
and
to
feed
a
servant
,
and
to
have
a
fire
in
the
parlor
every
day
.
Why
not
take
our
meals
there
,
and
sit
there
regularly
of
evenings
?
"
"
We
must
,
"
added
Selina
,
decidedly
.
"
For
my
part
,
I
could
n't
eat
,
or
sew
,
or
do
any
thing
with
that
great
hulking
girl
sitting
starting
opposite
,
or
standing
;
for
how
could
we
ask
her
to
sit
with
us
?
Already
,
what
must
she
have
thought
of
us
—
people
who
take
tea
in
the
kitchen
?
"
"
I
do
not
think
that
matters
,
"
said
the
eldest
sister
,
gently
,
after
a
moment
's
silence
.
"
Every
body
in
the
town
knows
who
and
what
we
are
,
or
might
,
if
they
chose
to
inquire
.
We
cannot
conceal
our
poverty
if
we
tried
;
and
I
do
n't
think
any
body
looks
down
upon
us
for
it
.
Not
even
since
we
began
to
keep
school
,
which
you
thought
was
such
a
terrible
thing
,
Selina
.
"
"
And
it
was
.
I
have
never
reconciled
myself
to
teaching
the
baker
's
two
boys
and
the
grocer
's
little
girl
.
You
were
wrong
,
Johanna
,
you
ought
to
have
drawn
the
line
somewhere
,
and
it
ought
to
have
excluded
trades-people
.
"
"
Beggars
can
not
be
choosers
,
"
began
Hilary
.
"
Beggars
!
"
echoed
Selina
.
"
No
,
my
dear
,
we
were
never
that
,
"
said
Miss
Leaf
,
interposing
against
one
of
the
sudden
storms
that
were
often
breaking
out
between
these
two
.
"
You
know
well
we
have
never
begged
or
borrowed
from
any
body
,
and
hardly
ever
been
indebted
to
any
body
,
except
for
the
extra
lessons
that
Mr.
Lyon
would
insist
upon
giving
to
Ascott
at
home
.
"
Here
Johanna
suddenly
stopped
,
and
Hilary
,
with
a
slight
color
rising
in
her
face
,
said
—
"
I
think
,
sisters
,
we
are
forgetting
that
the
staircase
is
quite
open
,
and
though
I
am
sure
she
has
an
honest
look
and
not
that
of
a
listener
,
still
Elizabeth
might
hear
.
Shall
I
call
her
down
stairs
,
and
tell
her
to
light
a
fire
in
the
parlor
?
"
While
she
is
doing
it
,
and
in
spite
of
Selina
's
forebodings
to
the
contrary
,
the
small
maiden
did
it
quickly
and
well
,
especially
after
a
hint
or
two
from
Hilary
—
let
me
take
the
opportunity
of
making
a
little
picture
of
this
same
Hilary
.
Little
it
should
be
,
for
she
was
a
decidedly
little
woman
:
small
altogether
,
hands
,
feet
,
and
figure
being
in
satisfactory
proportion
.
Her
movements
,
like
those
of
most
little
women
,
were
light
and
quick
rather
than
elegant
;
yet
every
thing
she
did
was
done
with
a
neatness
and
delicacy
which
gave
an
involuntary
sense
of
grace
and
harmony
.
She
was
,
in
brief
,
one
of
those
people
who
are
best
described
by
the
word
"
harmonious
;
"
people
who
never
set
your
teeth
on
edge
,
or
rub
you
up
the
wrong
way
,
as
very
excellent
people
occasionally
do
.
Yet
she
was
not
over-meek
or
unpleasantly
amiable
;
there
was
a
liveliness
and
even
briskness
about
her
,
as
if
the
every
day
wine
of
her
life
had
a
spice
of
Champagniness
,
not
frothiness
but
natural
effervescence
of
spirit
,
meant
to
"
cheer
but
not
inebriate
"
a
household
.
And
in
her
own
household
this
gift
was
most
displayed
.
No
centre
of
a
brilliant
,
admiring
circle
could
be
more
charming
,
more
witty
,
more
irresistibly
amusing
than
was
Hilary
sitting
by
the
kitchen
fire
,
with
the
cat
on
her
knee
,
between
her
two
sisters
,
and
the
school-boy
Ascott
Leaf
,
their
nephew
—
which
four
individuals
,
the
cat
being
not
the
least
important
of
them
,
constituted
the
family
.
In
the
family
,
Hilary
shone
supreme
.
All
recognized
her
as
the
light
of
the
house
,
and
so
she
had
been
,
ever
since
she
was
born
,
ever
since
her
"
Dying
mother
mild
,
Said
,
with
accents
undefiled
,
'
Child
,
be
mother
to
this
child
.
'
"
It
was
said
to
Johanna
Leaf
—
who
was
not
Mrs.
Leaf
's
own
child
.
But
the
good
step-mother
,
who
had
once
taken
the
little
motherless
girl
to
her
bosom
,
and
never
since
made
the
slightest
difference
between
her
and
her
own
children
,
knew
well
whom
she
was
trusting
.
From
that
solemn
hour
,
in
the
middle
of
the
night
,
when
she
lifted
the
hour-old
baby
out
of
its
dead
mother
's
bed
into
her
own
,
it
became
Johanna
's
one
object
in
life
.
Through
a
sickly
infancy
,
for
it
was
a
child
born
amidst
trouble
,
her
sole
hands
washed
,
dressed
,
fed
it
;
night
and
day
it
"
lay
in
her
bosom
,
and
was
unto
her
as
a
daughter
.
"
She
was
then
just
thirty
:
not
too
old
to
look
forward
to
woman
's
natural
destiny
,
a
husband
and
children
of
her
own
.
But
years
slipped
by
,
and
she
was
Miss
Leaf
still
.
What
matter
!
Hilary
was
her
daughter
.
Johanna
's
pride
in
her
knew
no
bounds
.
Not
that
she
showed
it
much
;
indeed
she
deemed
it
a
sacred
duty
not
to
show
it
;
but
to
make
believe
her
"
child
"
was
just
like
other
children
.
But
she
was
not
.
Nobody
ever
thought
she
was
—
even
in
externals
.
—
Fate
gave
her
all
those
gifts
which
are
sometimes
sent
to
make
up
for
the
lack
of
worldly
prosperity
.
Her
brown
eyes
were
as
soft
a
doves
'
eyes
,
yet
could
dance
with
fun
and
mischief
if
they
chose
;
her
hair
,
brown
also
,
with
a
dark-red
shade
in
it
,
crisped
itself
in
two
wavy
lines
over
her
forehead
,
and
then
turn
bled
down
in
two
glorious
masses
,
which
Johanna
,
ignorant
,
alas
!
of
art
,
called
very
"
untidy
,
"
and
labored
in
vain
to
quell
under
combs
,
or
to
arrange
in
proper
,
regular
curls
Her
features
—
well
,
they
too
,
were
good
;
better
than
those
unartistic
people
had
any
idea
of
—
better
even
than
Selina
's
,
who
in
her
youth
had
been
the
belle
of
the
town
.
But
whether
artistically
correct
or
not
,
Johanna
,
though
she
would
on
no
account
have
acknowledged
it
,
believed
solemnly
that
there
was
not
such
a
face
in
the
whole
world
as
little
Hillary
's
.
Possibly
a
similar
idea
dawned
upon
the
apparently
dull
mind
of
Elizabeth
Hand
,
for
she
watched
her
youngest
mistress
intently
,
from
kitchen
to
parlor
,
and
from
parlor
back
to
kitchen
;
and
once
when
Miss
Hilary
stood
giving
information
as
to
the
proper
abode
of
broom
,
bellows
,
etc.
,
the
little
maid
gazed
at
her
with
such
admiring
observation
that
the
scuttle
she
carried
was
titled
,
and
the
coals
were
strewn
all
over
the
kitchen
floor
.
At
which
catastrophe
Miss
Leaf
looked
miserable
.
Miss
Selina
spoke
crossly
,
and
Ascott
,
who
just
then
came
in
to
his
tea
,
late
as
usual
,
burst
into
a
shut
of
laughter
.
It
was
as
much
as
Hilary
could
do
to
help
laughing
herself
,
she
being
too
near
her
nephew
's
own
age
always
to
maintain
a
dignified
aunt-like
attitude
,
but
nevertheless
,
when
,
having
disposed
of
her
sisters
in
the
parlor
,
she
coaxed
Ascott
into
the
school-room
,
and
insisted
upon
his
Latin
being
done
—
she
helping
him
,
Aunt
Hilary
scolded
him
well
,
and
bound
him
over
to
keep
the
peace
toward
the
new
servant
.
"
But
she
is
such
a
queer
one
.
Exactly
like
a
South
Sea
Islander
.
When
she
stood
with
her
grim
,
stolid
countenance
,
contemplating
the
coals
oh
,
Aunt
Hilary
,
how
killing
she
was
!
"
And
the
regular
,
rollicking
,
irresistible
boy-laugh
broke
out
again
.
"
She
will
be
great
fun
.
Is
she
really
to
stay
?
"
"
I
hope
so
,
"
said
Hilary
,
trying
to
be
grave
.
"
I
hope
never
again
to
see
Aunt
Johanna
cleaning
the
stairs
,
and
getting
up
to
light
the
kitchen
fire
of
winter
mornings
,
as
she
will
do
if
we
have
not
a
servant
to
do
it
for
her
.
Do
n't
you
see
,
Ascott
?
"
"
Oh
,
I
see
,
"
answered
the
boy
,
carelessly
,
"
But
do
n't
bother
me
,
please
.
Domestic
affairs
are
for
women
,
not
men
.
"
Ascott
was
eighteen
,
and
just
about
to
pass
out
of
his
caterpillar
state
as
a
doctor
's
apprentice-lad
into
the
chrysalis
condition
of
a
medical
student
in
London
.
"
But
,
"
with
sudden
reflection
,
"
I
hope
she
wo
n't
be
in
my
way
.
Do
n't
let
her
meddle
with
any
of
my
books
and
things
.
"
"
No
;
you
need
not
be
afraid
.
I
have
put
them
all
into
your
room
.
I
myself
cleared
your
rubbish
out
of
the
box
closet
.
"
"
The
box-closet
!
Now
,
really
,
I
ca
n't
stand
—
"
"
She
is
to
sleep
in
the
box-closet
;
where
else
could
she
sleep
?
"
said
Hilary
,
resolutely
,
though
inly
quaking
a
little
;
for
somehow
,
the
merry
,
handsome
,
rather
exacting
lad
bad
acquired
considerable
influence
in
this
household
of
women
.
"
You
must
put
up
with
the
loss
of
your
'
den
.
'
Ascott
;
it
would
be
a
great
shame
if
you
did
not
,
for
the
sake
of
Aunt
Johanna
and
the
rest
of
us
.
"
"
Um
!
"
grumbled
the
boy
,
who
,
though
he
was
not
a
bad
fellow
at
heart
,
had
a
boy
's
dislike
to
"
putting
up
"
with
the
slightest
inconvenience
.
"
Well
,
it
wo
n't
last
long
.
I
shall
be
off
shortly
.
What
a
jolly
life
I
'll
have
in
London
,
Aunt
Hilary
!
I
'll
see
Mr.
Lyon
there
too
.
"
"
Yes
,
"
said
Aunt
Hilary
,
briefly
,
returning
to
Dido
and
Ćneas
;
humble
and
easy
Latinity
for
a
student
of
eighteen
;
but
Ascott
was
not
a
brilliant
boy
,
and
,
being
apprenticed
early
,
his
education
had
been
much
neglected
,
till
Mr.
Lyon
came
as
usher
to
the
Stowbury
grammar-school
,
and
happening
to
meet
and
take
an
interest
in
him
,
taught
him
and
his
Aunt
Hilary
Latin
,
Greek
,
and
mathematics
together
,
of
evenings
.
I
shall
make
no
mysteries
here
.
Human
nature
is
human
nature
all
the
world
over
.
A
tale
without
love
in
it
would
be
unnatural
,
unreal
—
in
fact
,
a
simple
lie
;
for
there
are
no
histories
and
no
lives
without
love
in
them
:
if
there
could
be
,
Heaven
pity
and
pardon
them
,
for
they
would
be
mere
abortions
of
humanity
.
Thank
Heaven
,
we
,
most
of
us
,
do
not
philosophize
:
we
only
live
.
We
like
one
another
,
we
hardly
know
why
;
we
love
one
another
,
we
still
less
know
why
.
If
on
the
day
she
first
saw
—
in
church
it
was
—
Mr.
Lyon
's
grave
,
heavy-browed
,
somewhat
severe
face
—
for
he
was
a
Scotsman
,
and
his
sharp
,
strong
Scotch
features
did
look
"
hard
"
beside
the
soft
,
rosy
,
well
conditioned
youth
of
Stowbury
—
if
on
that
Sunday
any
one
had
told
Hilary
Leaf
that
the
face
of
this
stranger
was
to
be
the
one
face
of
her
life
,
stamped
upon
brain
and
heart
,
and
soul
with
a
vividness
that
no
other
impressions
were
strong
enough
to
efface
,
and
retained
there
with
a
tenacity
that
no
vicissitudes
of
time
,
or
place
,
or
fortunes
had
power
to
alter
,
Hilary
would
—
yes
,
I
think
she
would
—
have
quietly
kept
looking
on
.
She
would
have
accepted
her
lot
,
such
as
it
was
,
with
its
shine
and
shade
,
its
joy
and
its
anguish
;
it
came
to
her
without
her
seeking
,
as
most
of
the
solemn
things
in
life
do
;
and
whatever
it
brought
with
it
,
it
could
have
come
from
no
other
source
than
that
from
which
all
high
,
and
holy
,
and
pure
loves
ever
must
come
—
the
will
and
permission
of
GOD
.
Mr.
Lyon
himself
requires
no
long
description
.
In
his
first
visit
he
had
told
Miss
Leaf
all
about
himself
that
there
was
to
be
known
;
that
he
was
,
as
they
were
,
a
poor
teacher
,
who
had
altogether
"
made
himself
,
"
as
so
many
Scotch
students
do
.
His
father
,
whom
he
scarcely
remembered
,
had
been
a
small
Ayrshire
farmer
;
his
mother
was
dead
,
and
he
had
never
had
either
brother
or
sister
.
Seeing
how
clever
Miss
Hilary
was
,
and
how
much
as
a
schoolmistress
she
would
need
all
the
education
she
could
get
,
he
had
offered
to
teach
her
along
with
her
nephew
;
and
she
and
Johanna
were
only
too
thankful
for
the
advantage
.
But
during
the
teaching
he
had
also
taught
her
another
thing
,
which
neither
had
contemplated
at
the
time
—
to
respect
him
with
her
whole
soul
,
and
to
love
him
with
her
whole
heart
.
Over
this
simple
fact
let
no
more
be
now
said
.
Hilary
said
nothing
.
She
recognized
it
herself
as
soon
as
he
was
gone
;
a
plain
,
sad
,
solemn
truth
,
which
there
was
no
deceiving
herself
did
not
exist
,
even
had
she
wished
its
non-existence
.
Perhaps
Johanna
also
found
it
out
,
in
her
darling
's
extreme
paleness
and
unusual
quietness
for
a
while
;
but
she
too
said
nothing
.
Mr.
Lyon
wrote
regularly
to
Ascott
,
and
once
or
twice
to
her
,
Miss
Leaf
;
but
though
every
one
knew
that
Hilary
was
his
particular
friend
in
the
whole
family
,
he
did
not
write
to
Hilary
.
He
had
departed
rather
suddenly
,
on
account
of
some
plan
which
he
said
,
affected
his
future
very
considerably
;
but
which
,
though
he
was
in
the
habit
of
telling
them
his
affairs
,
he
did
not
further
explain
.
Still
Johanna
knew
he
was
a
good
man
,
and
though
no
man
could
be
quite
good
enough
for
her
darling
,
she
liked
him
,
she
trusted
him
.
What
Hilary
felt
none
knew
.
But
she
was
very
girlish
in
some
things
;
and
her
life
was
all
before
her
,
full
of
infinite
hope
.
By-and-by
her
color
returned
,
and
her
merry
voice
and
laugh
were
heard
about
the
house
just
as
usual
.
This
being
the
position
of
affairs
,
it
was
not
surprising
that
after
Ascott
's
last
speech
Hilary
's
mind
wandered
from
Dido
and
Ćneas
to
vague
listening
,
as
the
lad
began
talking
of
his
grand
future
—
the
future
of
a
medical
student
,
all
expenses
being
paid
by
his
godfather
,
Mr.
Ascott
,
the
merchant
,
of
Russell
Square
,
once
a
shop
boy
of
Stowbury
.
Nor
was
it
unnatural
that
all
Ascott
's
anticipations
of
London
resolved
themselves
,
in
his
aunt
's
eyes
,
into
the
one
fact
that
he
would
"
see
Mr.
Lyon
.
"
But
in
telling
thus
much
about
her
mistresses
,
I
have
for
the
time
being
lost
sight
of
Elizabeth
Hand
.
Left
to
herself
,
the
girl
stood
for
a
minute
or
two
looking
around
her
in
a
confused
manner
,
then
,
rousing
her
faculties
,
began
mechanically
to
obey
the
order
with
which
her
mistress
had
quitted
the
kitchen
,
and
to
wash
up
the
tea-things
.
She
did
it
in
a
fashion
that
,
if
seen
,
would
have
made
Miss
Leaf
thankful
that
the
ware
was
only
the
common
set
,
and
not
the
cherished
china
belonging
to
former
days
:
still
she
did
it
,
noisily
it
is
true
,
but
actively
,
as
if
her
heart
were
in
her
work
.
Then
she
took
a
candle
and
peered
about
her
new
domains
.
These
were
small
enough
;
at
least
they
would
have
seemed
so
to
other
eyes
than
Elizabeth
's
;
for
,
until
the
school-room
and
box-closet
above
had
been
kindly
added
by
the
landlord
,
who
would
have
done
any
thing
to
show
his
respect
for
the
Misses
Leaf
,
it
had
been
merely
a
six-roomed
cottage
—
parlor
kitchen
,
back
kitchen
,
and
three
upper
chambers
.
It
was
a
very
cozy
house
notwithstanding
,
and
it
seemed
to
Elizabeth
's
eyes
a
perfect
palace
.
For
several
minutes
more
she
stood
and
contemplated
her
kitchen
,
with
the
fire
shining
on
the
round
oaken
stand
in
the
centre
,
and
the
large
wooden-bottomed
chairs
,
and
the
loud-ticking
clock
,
with
its
tall
case
,
the
inside
of
which
,
with
its
pendulum
and
weights
,
had
been
a
perpetual
mystery
and
delight
,
first
to
Hilary
's
and
then
to
Ascott
's
childhood
.
Then
there
was
the
sofa
,
large
and
ugly
,
but
,
oh
!
so
comfortable
,
with
its
faded
,
flowered
chintz
,
washed
and
worn
for
certainly
twenty
years
.
And
,
overall
,
Elizabeth
's
keen
observation
was
attracted
by
a
queer
machine
apparently
made
of
thin
rope
and
bits
of
wood
,
which
hung
up
to
the
hooks
on
the
ceiling
—
an
old-fashioned
baby
's
swing
.
Finally
,
her
eye
dwelt
with
content
on
the
blue
and
red
diamond
tiled
floor
,
so
easily
swept
and
mopped
,
and
(
only
Elizabeth
did
not
think
of
that
,
for
her
hard
childhood
had
been
all
work
and
no
play
)
so
beautiful
to
whip
tops
upon
!
Hilary
and
Ascott
,
condoling
together
over
the
new
servant
,
congratulated
themselves
that
their
delight
in
this
occupation
had
somewhat
failed
,
though
it
was
really
not
so
many
years
ago
since
one
of
the
former
's
pupils
,
coming
suddenly
out
of
the
school-room
,
had
caught
her
in
the
act
of
whipping
a
meditative
top
round
this
same
kitchen
floor
.
Meantime
Elizabeth
penetrated
farther
,
investigating
the
back
kitchen
,
with
its
various
conveniences
;
especially
the
pantry
,
every
shelf
of
which
was
so
neatly
arranged
and
beautifully
clean
.
Apparently
this
neatness
impressed
the
girl
with
a
sense
of
novelty
and
curiosity
;
and
though
she
could
hardly
be
said
to
meditate
—
her
mind
was
not
sufficiently
awakened
for
that
—
still
,
as
she
stood
at
the
kitchen
fire
,
a
slight
thoughtfulness
deepened
the
expression
of
her
face
,
and
made
it
less
dull
and
heavy
than
it
had
at
first
appeared
.
"
I
wonder
which
on
'
em
does
it
all
.
They
must
work
pretty
hard
,
I
reckon
;
and
two
o
'
them
's
such
little
uns
.
"
She
stood
a
while
longer
;
for
sitting
down
appeared
to
be
to
Elizabeth
as
new
a
proceeding
as
thinking
;
then
she
went
up
stairs
,
still
literally
obeying
orders
,
to
shut
windows
and
pull
down
blinds
at
nightfall
.
The
bedrooms
were
small
,
and
insufficiently
,
nay
,
shabbily
furnished
;
but
the
floors
were
spotless
—
ah
!
poor
Johanna
!
—
and
the
sheets
,
though
patched
and
darned
to
the
last
extremity
,
were
white
and
whole
.
Nothing
was
dirty
,
nothing
untidy
.
There
was
no
attempt
at
picturesque
poverty
—
for
whatever
novelists
may
say
,
poverty
can
not
be
picturesque
;
but
all
things
were
decent
and
in
order
.
The
house
,
poor
as
it
was
,
gave
the
impression
of
belonging
to
"
real
ladies
;
"
ladies
who
thought
no
manner
of
work
beneath
them
,
and
who
,
whatever
they
had
to
do
,
took
the
pains
to
do
it
as
well
as
possible
.
Mrs.
Hand
's
roughly-brought-up
daughter
had
never
been
in
such
a
house
before
,
and
her
examination
of
every
new
corner
of
it
seemed
quite
a
revelation
.
Her
own
little
sleeping
nook
was
fully
as
tidy
and
comfortable
as
the
rest
,
which
fact
was
not
lost
upon
Elizabeth
.
That
bright
look
of
mingled
softness
and
intelligence
—
the
only
thing
which
beautified
her
rugged
face
—
came
into
the
girl
's
eyes
as
she
"
turned
down
"
the
truckle-bed
,
and
felt
the
warm
blankets
and
sheets
,
new
and
rather
coarse
,
but
neatly
sewed
.
"
Her
's
made
'
em
hersel
'
,
I
reckon
.
La
!
"
Which
of
her
mistresses
the
"
her
"
referred
to
remained
unspecified
;
but
Elizabeth
,
spurred
to
action
by
some
new
idea
,
went
briskly
back
into
the
bedrooms
,
and
looked
about
to
see
if
there
was
any
thing
she
could
find
to
do
.
At
last
,
with
a
sudden
inspiration
,
she
peered
into
a
wash-stand
,
and
found
there
an
empty
ewer
.
Taking
it
in
one
hand
and
the
candle
in
the
other
,
she
ran
down
stairs
.
Fatal
activity
!
Hilary
's
pet
cat
,
startled
from
sleep
on
the
kitchen
hearth
,
at
the
same
instant
ran
wildly
up
stairs
;
there
was
a
start
—
a
stumble
—
and
then
down
came
the
candle
,
the
ewer
,
Elizabeth
,
and
all
.
It
was
an
awful
crash
.
It
brought
every
member
of
the
family
to
see
what
was
the
matter
.
"
What
has
the
girl
broken
?
"
cried
Selina
.
"
Where
has
she
hurt
herself
?
"
anxiously
added
Johanna
.
Hilary
said
nothing
,
but
ran
for
a
light
,
and
then
picked
up
first
the
servant
,
then
the
candle
,
and
then
the
fragments
of
crockery
.
"
Why
,
it
's
my
ewer
,
my
favorite
ewer
,
and
it
's
all
smashed
to
bits
,
and
I
never
can
match
it
again
.
You
careless
,
clumsy
,
good-for-nothing
creature
!
"
"
Please
,
Selma
,
"
whispered
her
eldest
sister
.
"
Very
well
,
Johanna
.
You
are
the
mistress
,
I
suppose
;
why
do
n't
you
speak
to
your
servant
?
"
Miss
Leaf
,
in
an
humbled
,
alarmed
way
,
first
satisfied
herself
that
no
bodily
injury
had
been
sustained
by
Elizabeth
,
and
then
asked
her
how
this
disaster
had
happened
?
For
a
serious
disaster
she
felt
it
was
.
Not
only
was
the
present
loss
annoying
,
but
a
servant
with
a
talent
for
crockery
breaking
would
be
a
far
too
expensive
luxury
for
them
to
think
of
retaining
.
And
she
had
been
listening
in
the
solitude
of
the
parlor
to
a
long
lecture
from
her
always
dissatisfied
younger
sister
,
on
the
great
doubts
Selina
had
about
Elizabeth
's
"
suiting
.
"
"
Come
,
now
,
"
seeing
the
girl
hesitated
,
"
tell
me
the
plain
truth
.
How
was
it
?
"
"
It
was
the
cat
,
"
sobbed
Elizabeth
.
"
What
a
barefaced
falsehood
.
"
exclaimed
Selina
.
"
You
wicked
girl
,
how
could
it
possibly
be
the
cat
?
Do
you
know
that
you
are
telling
a
lie
,
and
that
lies
are
hateful
,
and
that
all
liars
go
to
—
"
"
Nonsense
,
hush
!
"
interrupted
Hilary
,
rather
sharply
;
for
Selina
's
"
tongue
,
"
the
terror
of
her
childhood
,
now
merely
annoyed
her
.
Selina
's
temper
was
a
long
understood
household
fact
—
they
did
not
much
mind
it
,
knowing
that
her
bark
was
worse
than
her
bite
—
but
it
was
provoking
that
she
should
exhibit
herself
so
soon
before
the
new
servant
.
The
latter
first
looked
up
at
the
lady
with
simple
surprise
;
then
,
as
in
spite
of
the
other
two
,
Miss
Selina
worked
herself
up
into
a
downright
passion
,
and
unlimited
abuse
fell
upon
the
victim
's
devoted
head
,
Elizabeth
's
manner
changed
.
After
one
dogged
repetition
of
,
"
It
was
the
cat
!
"
not
another
word
could
be
got
out
of
her
.
She
stood
,
her
eyes
fixed
on
the
kitchen
floor
,
her
brows
knitted
,
and
her
under
lip
pushed
out
—
the
very
picture
of
sullenness
.
Young
as
she
was
,
Elizabeth
evidently
had
,
like
her
unfortunate
mistress
,
"
a
temper
of
her
own
"
—
a
spiritual
deformity
that
some
people
are
born
with
,
as
others
with
hare-lip
or
club-foot
;
only
,
unlike
these
,
it
may
be
conquered
,
though
the
battle
is
long
and
sore
,
sometimes
ending
only
with
life
.
It
had
plainly
never
commenced
with
poor
Elizabeth
Hand
.
Her
appearance
,
as
she
stood
under
the
flood
of
sharp
words
poured
out
upon
her
,
was
absolutely
repulsive
.
Even
Miss
Hilary
turned
away
,
and
began
to
think
it
would
have
been
easier
to
teach
all
day
and
do
house
work
half
the
night
,
than
have
the
infliction
of
a
servant
—
to
say
nothing
of
the
disgrace
of
seeing
Selina
's
"
peculiarities
"
so
exposed
before
a
stranger
.
She
knew
of
old
that
to
stop
the
torrent
was
impracticable
.
The
only
chance
was
to
let
Selina
expend
her
wrath
and
retire
,
and
then
to
take
some
quiet
opportunity
of
explaining
to
Elizabeth
that
sharp
language
was
only
"
her
way
,
"
and
must
be
put
up
with
.
Humiliating
as
this
was
,
and
fatal
to
domestic
authority
that
the
first
thing
to
be
taught
a
new
servant
was
to
"
put
up
"
with
one
of
her
mistresses
,
still
there
was
no
alternative
.
—
Hilary
had
already
foreboded
and
made
up
her
mind
to
such
a
possibility
,
but
she
had
hoped
it
would
not
occur
the
very
first
evening
.
It
did
,
however
,
and
its
climax
was
worse
even
than
she
anticipated
.
Whether
,
irritated
by
the
intense
sullenness
of
the
girl
.
Selina
's
temper
was
worse
than
usual
,
or
whether
,
as
is
always
the
case
with
people
like
her
,
something
else
had
vexed
her
,
and
she
vented
it
upon
the
first
cause
of
annoyance
that
occurred
,
certain
it
is
that
her
tongue
went
on
unchecked
till
it
failed
from
sheer
exhaustion
.
And
then
,
as
she
flung
herself
on
the
sofa
—
oh
,
sad
mischance
!
—
she
caught
sight
of
her
nephew
standing
at
the
school-room
door
,
grinning
with
intense
delight
,
and
making
faces
at
her
behind
her
back
.
It
was
too
much
.
The
poor
lady
had
no
more
words
left
to
scold
with
;
but
she
rushed
up
to
Ascott
,
and
big
lad
as
he
was
,
she
soundly
boxed
his
ears
.
On
this
terrible
climax
let
the
curtain
fall
.
CHAPTER
II
.
Common
as
were
the
small
fends
between
Ascott
and
his
Aunt
Selina
,
they
seldom
reached
such
a
catastrophe
as
that
described
in
my
last
chapter
.
Hilary
had
to
fly
to
the
rescue
,
and
literally
drag
the
furious
lad
back
into
the
school-room
;
while
Johanna
,
pale
and
trembling
,
persuaded
Selina
to
quit
the
field
and
go
and
lie
down
.
This
was
not
difficult
;
for
the
instant
she
saw
what
she
had
done
,
how
she
had
disgraced
herself
and
insulted
her
nephew
.
Selina
felt
sorry
.
Her
passion
ended
in
a
gush
of
"
nervous
"
tears
under
the
influence
of
which
she
was
led
up
stairs
and
put
to
bed
,
almost
like
a
child
—
the
usual
termination
of
these
pitiful
outbreaks
.
For
the
time
nobody
thought
of
Elizabeth
.
The
hapless
cause
of
all
stood
"
spectatress
of
the
fray
"
beside
her
kitchen
fire
.
What
she
thought
history
saith
not
.
Whether
in
her
own
rough
home
she
was
used
to
see
brothers
and
sisters
quarrelling
,
and
mothers
boxing
their
childrens
'
ears
,
can
not
be
known
;
whether
she
was
or
was
not
surprised
to
see
the
same
proceedings
among
ladies
and
gentlemen
,
she
never
betrayed
,
but
certain
it
is
that
the
little
servant
became
uncommonly
serious
;
yes
,
serious
rather
than
sulky
,
for
her
"
black
"
looks
vanished
gradually
,
as
soon
as
Miss
Selina
left
the
kitchen
.
On
the
reappearance
of
Miss
Hilary
it
had
quite
gone
.
But
Hilary
took
no
notice
of
her
;
she
was
in
search
of
Johanna
,
who
,
shaking
and
cold
with
agitation
,
came
slowly
down
stairs
.
"
Is
she
gone
to
bed
?
"
"
Yes
,
my
dear
.
It
was
the
best
thing
for
her
;
she
is
not
at
all
well
to-day
.
"
Hilary
's
lip
curled
a
little
,
but
she
replied
not
a
word
.
She
had
not
the
patience
with
Selina
that
Johanna
had
.
She
drew
her
elder
sister
into
the
little
parlor
,
placed
her
in
the
arm-chair
,
shut
the
door
,
came
and
sat
beside
her
,
and
took
her
hand
.
Johanna
pressed
it
,
shed
a
quiet
tear
or
two
,
and
wiped
them
away
.
Then
the
two
sisters
remained
silent
,
with
hearts
sad
and
sore
.
Every
family
has
its
skeleton
in
the
house
:
this
was
theirs
.
Whether
they
acknowledged
it
or
not
,
they
knew
quite
well
that
every
discomfort
they
had
,
every
slight
jar
which
disturbed
the
current
of
household
peace
,
somehow
or
other
originated
with
"
poor
Selina
.
"
They
often
called
her
"
poor
"
with
a
sort
of
pity
—
not
unneeded
.
Heaven
knows
!
for
if
the
unhappy
are
to
be
pitied
,
ten
times
more
so
are
those
who
make
others
miserable
.
This
was
Selina
's
case
,
and
had
been
all
her
life
.
And
,
sometimes
,
she
herself
knew
it
.
Sometimes
,
after
an
especially
bad
outbreak
,
her
compunction
and
remorse
would
be
almost
as
terrible
as
her
passion
;
forcing
her
sisters
to
make
every
excuse
for
her
;
she
"
did
not
mean
it
,
"
it
was
only
"
ill
health
,
"
or
"
nerves
,
"
or
her
"
unfortunate
way
of
taking
things
.
"
But
they
knew
in
their
hearts
that
not
all
their
poverty
and
the
toils
it
entailed
,
not
all
the
hardships
and
humiliation
of
their
changed
estate
,
were
half
so
bitter
to
bear
as
this
something
—
no
moral
crime
,
and
yet
in
its
results
as
fatal
as
crime
—
which
they
called
Selina
's
"
way
.
"
Ascott
was
the
only
one
who
did
not
attempt
to
mince
matters
.
When
a
little
boy
he
had
openly
declared
he
hated
Aunt
Salina
;
when
he
grew
up
he
as
openly
defied
her
,
and
it
was
a
most
difficult
matter
to
keep
even
decent
peace
between
them
.
Hilary
's
wrath
had
never
gone
further
than
wishing
Selina
was
married
,
that
appearing
the
easiest
way
of
getting
rid
of
her
.
Latterly
she
had
ceased
this
earnest
aspiration
;
it
might
be
,
because
,
learning
to
think
more
seriously
of
marriage
,
she
felt
that
a
woman
who
is
no
blessing
in
her
own
household
,
is
never
likely
much
to
bless
a
husband
's
;
and
that
,
looking
still
farther
forward
,
it
was
,
on
the
whole
,
a
mercy
of
Providence
,
which
made
Selina
not
the
mother
of
children
.
Yet
her
not
marrying
had
been
somewhat
a
surprise
;
for
she
had
been
attractive
in
her
day
,
handsome
and
agreeable
in
society
.
But
perhaps
,
for
all
that
,
the
sharp
eye
of
the
opposite
sex
had
discovered
the
cloven
foot
;
since
,
though
she
had
received
various
promising
attentions
,
poor
Selina
had
never
had
an
offer
.
Nor
,
fortunately
,
had
she
ever
been
known
to
care
for
any
body
;
she
was
one
of
those
women
who
would
have
married
as
a
matter
of
course
,
but
who
never
would
have
been
guilty
of
the
weakness
of
falling
in
love
.
There
seemed
small
probability
of
shipping
her
off
,
to
carry
into
a
new
household
the
restlessness
,
the
fretfulness
,
the
captious
fault-finding
with
others
,
the
readiness
to
take
offence
at
what
was
done
and
said
to
herself
,
which
made
poor
Selina
Leaf
the
unacknowledged
grief
and
torment
of
her
own
.
Her
two
sisters
sat
silent
.
What
was
the
use
of
talking
?
It
would
be
only
going
ever
and
over
again
the
old
thing
;
trying
to
ease
and
shift
a
little
the
long
familiar
burden
which
they
knew
must
be
borne
.
Nearly
every
household
has
,
near
or
remote
,
some
such
burden
,
which
Heaven
only
can
lift
off
or
help
to
bear
.
And
sometimes
,
looking
round
the
world
outside
,
these
two
congratulated
themselves
,
in
a
half
sort
of
way
,
that
theirs
was
as
light
as
it
was
;
that
Selina
was
after
all
,
a
well-meaning
well-principled
woman
,
and
,
in
spite
of
her
little
tempers
,
really
fond
of
her
family
,
as
she
truly
was
,
at
least
as
fond
as
a
nature
which
has
its
centre
in
self
can
manage
to
be
.
Only
when
Hilary
looked
,
as
to-night
,
into
her
eldest
sister
's
pale
face
,
where
year
by
year
the
lines
were
deepening
,
and
saw
how
every
agitation
such
as
the
present
shook
her
more
and
more
—
she
who
ought
to
have
a
quiet
life
and
a
cheerful
home
,
after
so
many
hard
years
—
then
Hilary
,
fierce
in
the
resistance
of
her
youth
,
felt
as
if
what
she
could
have
borne
for
herself
she
could
not
bear
for
Johanna
,
and
at
the
moment
,
sympathized
with
Ascott
in
actually
"
hating
"
Aunt
Selina
.
"
Where
is
that
boy
?
He
ought
to
be
spoken
to
,
"
Johanna
said
,
at
length
,
rising
wearily
.
"
I
have
spoken
to
him
;
I
gave
him
a
good
scolding
.
He
is
sorry
,
and
promises
never
to
be
so
rude
again
.
"
"
Oh
no
;
not
till
the
next
time
,
"
replied
Miss
Leaf
.
hopelessly
.
"
But
Hilary
.
"
with
a
sudden
consternation
,
"
what
are
we
to
do
about
Elizabeth
?
"
The
younger
sister
had
thought
of
that
.
She
had
turned
over
in
her
mind
all
the
pros
and
cons
,
the
inevitable
"
worries
"
that
would
result
from
the
presence
of
an
additional
member
of
the
family
,
especially
one
from
whom
the
family
skeleton
could
not
be
hid
,
to
whom
it
was
already
only
too
fatally
revealed
.
But
Hilary
was
a
clear
headed
girl
,
and
she
had
the
rare
faculty
of
seeing
things
as
they
really
were
,
undistorted
by
her
own
likings
or
dislikings
—
in
fact
,
without
reference
to
herself
at
all
.
She
perceived
plainly
that
Johanna
ought
not
to
do
the
housework
,
that
Selina
would
not
,
and
that
she
could
not
:
ergo
,
they
must
keep
a
servant
.
Better
,
perhaps
,
a
small
servant
,
over
whom
they
could
have
the
same
influence
as
over
a
child
,
than
one
older
and
more
independent
,
who
would
irritate
her
mistresses
at
home
,
and
chatter
of
them
abroad
.
Besides
,
they
had
promised
Mrs.
Hand
to
give
her
daughter
a
fair
trial
.
For
a
month
,
then
,
Elizabeth
was
bound
to
stay
;
afterward
,
time
would
show
.
It
was
best
not
to
meet
troubles
half
way
.
This
explained
,
in
Hilary
's
cheerful
voice
,
seemed
greatly
to
reassure
and
comfort
her
sister
.
"
Yes
,
love
,
you
are
right
;
she
must
remain
her
month
out
,
unless
she
does
something
very
wrong
.
Do
you
think
that
really
was
a
lie
she
told
?
"
"
About
the
cat
?
I
do
n't
quite
know
what
to
think
.
Let
us
call
her
,
and
put
the
question
once
more
.
Do
you
put
it
,
Johanna
.
I
do
n't
think
she
could
look
at
you
and
tell
you
a
story
.
"
Other
people
,
at
sight
of
that
sweet
,
grave
face
,
its
bloom
faded
,
and
hairs
silvered
long
before
their
time
,
yet
beautiful
,
with
an
almost
childlike
simplicity
and
childlike
peace
—
most
other
people
would
have
been
of
Hilary
's
opinion
.
"
Sit
down
;
I
'll
call
her
.
Dear
me
,
Johanna
,
we
shall
have
to
set
up
a
bell
as
well
as
a
servant
,
unless
we
had
managed
to
combine
the
two
.
"
But
Hilary
's
harmless
little
joke
failed
to
make
her
sister
smile
;
and
the
entrance
of
the
girl
seemed
to
excite
positive
apprehension
.
How
was
it
possible
to
make
excuse
to
a
servant
for
her
mistress
's
shortcomings
?
how
scold
for
ill-doing
this
young
girl
,
to
whom
,
ere
she
had
been
a
night
in
the
house
,
so
bad
an
example
had
been
set
?
Johanna
half
expected
Elizabeth
to
take
a
leaf
out
of
Selina
's
book
and
begin
abusing
herself
and
Hilary
.
No
:
she
stood
very
sheepish
,
very
uncomfortable
,
but
not
in
the
least
bold
or
sulky
—
on
the
whole
,
looking
rather
penitent
and
humble
.
Her
mistress
took
courage
.
"
Elizabeth
I
want
you
to
tell
me
the
truth
about
that
unfortunate
breakage
.
Do
n't
be
afraid
.
I
had
rather
you
broke
every
thing
in
the
house
than
have
told
me
what
was
not
true
.
"
"
It
was
true
;
it
was
the
cat
.
"
"
How
could
that
be
possible
?
You
were
coming
down
stairs
with
the
ewer
in
your
hand
.
"
"
Her
got
under
my
feet
,
and
throwed
me
down
,
and
so
I
tumbled
,
and
smashed
the
thing
agin
the
floor
.
"
The
Misses
Leaf
glanced
at
each
other
.
This
version
of
the
momentous
event
was
probable
enough
,
and
the
girl
's
eager
,
honest
manner
gave
internal
confirmatory
evidence
pretty
strong
.
"
I
am
sure
she
is
telling
the
truth
.
"
said
Hilary
.
"
And
remember
what
her
mother
said
about
her
word
being
always
reliable
.
"
This
reference
was
too
much
for
Elizabeth
.
She
burst
out
,
not
into
actual
crying
,
but
into
a
smothered
choke
.
"
If
you
donnot
believe
me
,
missus
,
I
'd
rather
go
home
to
mother
.
"
"
I
do
believe
you
,
"
said
Miss
Leaf
,
kindly
then
waited
till
the
pinafore
,
used
as
a
pocket
handkerchief
,
had
dried
up
grief
and
restored
composure
.
"
I
can
quite
well
understand
the
accident
now
;
and
I
am
sure
if
you
had
put
it
as
plainly
at
first
,
my
sister
would
have
understood
it
too
.
She
was
very
much
annoyed
,
and
no
wonder
.
She
will
be
equally
glad
to
find
she
was
mistaken
.
"
Here
Miss
Leaf
paused
,
somewhat
puzzled
how
to
express
what
she
felt
it
her
duty
to
say
,
so
as
to
be
comprehended
by
the
servant
,
and
yet
not
let
down
the
dignity
of
the
family
Hilary
came
to
her
aid
.
"
Miss
Selina
is
sometimes
hasty
;
but
she
means
kindly
always
.
You
must
take
care
not
to
vex
her
,
Elizabeth
;
and
you
must
never
answer
her
back
again
,
however
sharply
she
speaks
.
It
is
not
your
business
;
you
are
only
a
child
,
and
she
is
your
mistress
.
"
"
Is
her
?
I
thought
it
was
this
'
un
.
"
The
subdued
clouding
of
Elizabeth
's
face
,
and
her
blunt
pointing
to
Miss
Leaf
as
"
this
'
un
.
"
were
too
much
for
Hilary
's
gravity
She
was
obliged
to
retreat
to
the
press
,
and
begin
an
imaginary
search
for
a
book
.
"
Yes
,
I
am
the
eldest
,
and
I
suppose
you
may
consider
me
specially
as
your
mistress
,
"
said
Johanna
,
simply
.
"
"
Remember
always
to
come
to
me
in
any
difficulty
;
and
above
all
,
to
tell
me
every
thing
outright
,
as
soon
as
it
happens
.
I
can
forgive
you
almost
any
fault
,
if
you
are
truthful
and
honest
;
but
there
is
one
thing
I
never
could
forgive
,
and
that
is
deception
.
Now
go
with
Miss
Hilary
,
and
she
will
teach
you
how
to
make
the
porridge
for
supper
.
"
Elizabeth
obeyed
silently
;
she
had
apparently
a
great
gift
for
silence
.
And
she
was
certainly
both
obedient
and
willing
;
not
stupid
,
either
,
though
a
nervousness
of
temperament
which
Hilary
was
surprised
to
find
in
so
big
and
coarse-looking
a
girl
,
made
her
rather
awkward
at
first
.
However
,
she
succeeded
in
pouring
out
and
carrying
into
the
parlor
,
without
accident
,
three
platefuls
of
that
excellent
condiment
which
formed
the
frugal
supper
of
the
family
;
but
which
they
ate
,
I
grieve
to
say
,
in
an
orthodox
southern
fashion
,
with
sugar
or
treacle
,
until
Mr.
Lyon
—
greatly
horrified
thereby
—
had
instituted
his
national
custom
of
"
supping
"
porridge
with
milk
.
It
may
be
a
very
unsentimental
thing
to
confess
,
but
Hilary
,
who
even
at
twenty
was
rather
practical
than
poetical
,
never
made
the
porridge
without
thinking
of
Robert
Lyon
,
and
the
day
when
he
first
staid
to
supper
,
and
ate
it
,
or
as
he
said
and
was
very
much
laughed
at
,
ate
"
them
"
with
such
infinite
relish
Since
then
,
whenever
he
came
,
he
always
asked
for
his
porridge
,
saying
it
carried
him
back
to
his
childish
days
.
And
Hilary
,
with
that
curious
pleasure
that
women
take
in
waiting
upon
any
one
unto
whom
the
heart
is
ignorantly
beginning
to
own
the
allegiance
,
humble
yet
proud
,
of
Miranda
to
Ferdinand
:
"
To
be
your
fellow
You
may
deny
me
;
but
I
'll
be
your
servant
Whether
you
will
or
no.
"
Hilary
always
contrived
to
make
his
supper
herself
.
Those
pleasant
days
were
now
over
.
Mr.
Lyon
was
gone
.
As
she
stool
alone
over
the
kitchen
fire
,
she
thought
—
as
now
and
then
she
let
herself
think
for
a
minute
or
two
in
her
busy
prosaic
life
—
of
that
August
night
,
standing
at
the
front
door
,
of
his
last
"
good-by
,
"
and
last
hand-clasp
,
tight
,
warm
,
and
firm
;
and
somehow
she
,
like
Johanna
,
trusted
in
him
.
Not
exactly
in
his
love
;
it
seemed
almost
impossible
that
he
should
love
her
,
at
least
till
she
grew
much
more
worthy
of
him
than
now
;
but
in
himself
,
that
he
would
never
be
less
himself
,
less
thoroughly
good
and
true
than
now
.
That
,
some
time
,
he
would
be
sure
to
come
back
again
,
and
take
up
his
old
relations
with
them
,
brightening
their
dull
life
with
his
cheerfulness
;
infusing
in
their
feminine
household
the
new
element
of
a
clear
,
strong
,
energetic
,
manly
will
,
which
sometimes
made
Johanna
say
that
instead
of
twenty-five
the
young
man
might
be
forty
;
and
,
above
all
,
bringing
into
their
poverty
the
silent
sympathy
of
one
who
had
fought
his
own
battle
with
the
world
—
a
hard
one
,
too
,
as
his
face
sometimes
showed
—
though
he
never
said
much
about
it
.
Of
the
results
of
this
pleasant
relation
—
whether
she
being
the
only
truly
marriageable
person
in
the
house
.
Robert
Lyon
intended
to
marry
her
,
or
was
expected
to
do
so
,
or
that
society
would
think
it
a
very
odd
thing
if
he
did
not
do
so
—
this
unsophisticated
Hilary
never
thought
at
all
