Steptoe had relapsed into the major-domo’s office, announcing from the doorway, “Mrs. Courage to see madam, if madam will be pleased to receive ’er.”
Madam indicated that she was so pleased, scrambling after the standard of the maiden sovereign of Windsor Castle giving audience to princes and ambassadors.
Chapter VIII
“I’m ’ere.”
Letty couldn’t know, of course, that this announcement, made in a menacing female bass, was due to the fact that three swaying bodies had been endeavoring so to get round the deployed paper wings as to see what was hidden there, and had found their efforts vain. All she could recognize was the summons to the bar of social judgment. To the bar of social judgment she would have gone obediently, had it not been for that rebelliousness against being “looked down upon” which had lately mastered her. As it was, she lengthened her neck by another half inch, receiving from the exercise a new degree of self-strengthening.
“Mrs. Courage is ’ere, madam,” Steptoe seconded, “and begs to sye as she’s givin’ notice to quit madam’s service––”
The explosion came as if Mrs. Courage was strangling.
“When I wants words took out of my mouth by ’Enery Steptoe or anybody else I’ll sye so. If them as I’ve come into this room to speak to don’t feel theirselves aible to fyce me––”