“Lor’, what a stupid thing that cook is!” said the thirty boarders.
“Cook,” said the lady abbess, with great dignity; “don’t answer me, if you please. I insist upon your looking into the garden immediately.”
Here the cook began to cry, and the housemaid said it was “a shame!” for which partisanship she received a month’s warning on the spot.
“Do you hear, cook?” said the lady abbess, stamping her foot impatiently.
“Don’t you hear your missis, cook?” said the three teachers.
“What an impudent thing that cook is!” said the thirty boarders.
The unfortunate cook, thus strongly urged, advanced a step or two, and holding her candle just where it prevented her from seeing anything at all, declared there was nothing there, and it must have been the wind. The door was just going to be closed in consequence when an inquisitive boarder, who had been peeping between the hinges, set up a fearful screaming, which called back the cook and the housemaid, and all the more adventurous, in no time.
“What is the matter with Miss Smithers?” said the lady abbess, as the aforesaid Miss Smithers proceeded to go into hysterics of four young lady power.
“Lor’, Miss Smithers dear,” said the other nine-and-twenty boarders.