“If that’s all, I’ll try to remember,” Dorothea answered lightly.
“Land sakes! Is that all, says you?” Lucy cried. “No’m, they’s heaps and heaps more, but I’ll tell ’em to yoh as they comes along. Yoh sho’ly would forget some of ’em if I told all of ’em to oncet.”
Her hair finished, Dorothea held out a foot for a satin slipper.
“Lef’ foot first, missy,” Lucy said pleadingly. “It’s luckier that a way somehow.”
So it went on till Dorothea was dressed, but she was in no hurry to go down till the music told her the dancing had begun, and seated herself near the candle. Taking up a book, she accidentally brushed the paper knife off the table.
“That means a gem’man’ comin’ to see yoh,” Lucy remarked as she picked it up.
“We’ll not bother over him till he’s here,” Dorothea replied with a laugh. “You needn’t wait, Lucy. I’ll not need you again.”
“I’ll be on the landin’, missy, to shake out youh ruffles an’ spread youh ribbons befoh yoh go down staihs. But they’s somethin’ on my mind, honey, I wants to ask yoh about.”
“What is it?” Dorothea asked. “You don’t have to be afraid of me, do you?”
“I isn’t ’zackly afeared,” Lucy explained. “I knows I ain’t stylish, lak Merry, but I’ve been a house gal wearin’ shoes fouh years now.”