Peggy was bustled out, wholly unconscious that she was in fault. Miss Shipley enlightened her.
"If you wish to get a place," she said, "you must be quiet and respectful in your manners. If you sit down a bit, we may have other ladies in."
Peggy took a seat in silence. She saw a good deal of coming and going, was interviewed herself by a publican's wife, a grocer's, and a young bride just married to a plumber and gasfitter, but she calmly declined each of these situations, asserting gravely—
"I means to live in a proper house, in a real good place."
Then the Miss Shipleys lost patience with her.
"You tell us you have had no experience, and have never been out before. You ought to be thankful to any one for being willing to take you and train you. You bring us no references, and yet expect to get a first class place. It is quite ridiculous. You are really too small and young to be in service at all."
Peggy felt dismay for the first time, but she sat still in her corner. Other servants came and went, but she did indeed seem to be the smallest of them all. Presently, with a sigh, she got up.
"P'raps I'll call again to-morrow," she said. "There must be some nice places goin', and I means to get into one of 'em!"
She made her exit very quietly. The Miss Shipleys seemed rather relieved to get rid of her.
Once outside, big tears came to her eyes.