“Very well, mamma, I’ll write to Mrs. Moore. I suppose the bishop is in Dublin at present?”
“Yes, my dear, I believe so. There can’t be anything to prevent their coming.”
“Only that he’s the managing man on the Education Board, and he’s giving up his time very much to that at present. I dare say he’ll come, but he won’t stay long.”
“Well, Selina, if he won’t, I can’t help it; and I’m sure, now I think about the cook, I don’t see how we’re to expect anybody to stay. What am I to do, Griffiths, about that horrid woman?”
“I’ll tell you what I was thinking, my lady; only I don’t know whether your ladyship would like it, either, and if you didn’t you could easily get rid of him when all these people are gone.”
“Get rid of who?”
“I was going to say, my lady—if your ladyship would consent to have a man cook for a time, just to try.”
“Then I never will, Griffiths: there’d be no peace in the house with him!”
“Well, your ladyship knows best, in course; only if you thought well of trying it, of course you needn’t keep the man; and I know there’s Murray in Dublin, that was cook so many years to old Lord Galway. I know he’s to be heard of at the hotel in Grafton Street.”
“I can’t bear the thoughts of a man cook, Griffiths: I’d sooner have three women cooks, and I’m sure one’s enough to plague anybody.”