The four women found themselves temporarily together, and fell to talking of the weather, servants, children and the approaching Christmas holidays.
Mrs. Campbell and her daughter sat one on each side of Julia and made much of her. No word from Hetty or Jennie revealed the fact that Mrs. John Legg had once been in their service.
But Julia made no secret of it.
“I was housekeeper at the rectory of Medge, ma’am, in the old lady’s time, three years before his reverence was married.”
“She means in my grandmother’s days,” put in Mr. Campbell.
“And for eighteen years afterward; making twenty-one years in all that I lived with the Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell. I held that child, Miss Jennie—Mrs. Montgomery that now is—on my lap when she wasn’t twenty-four hours old. And nursed her and took care of her from the time of her birth until that of her marriage,” said Julia.
And Jennie, who was holding her hand, raised and pressed it to her own breast.
“Yes; and I have lived with them ever since, up to the time when they left to come up here to Yorkshire. Then I took Mr. Legg’s offer and married him.”
“I hope you have been very happy,” said Jennie.
“I am as happy, dear, as I can be parted from you all. We came to Haymore to see Uncle Dandy. And we intended to go to-morrow and see you. We little expected to find you here. I haven’t seen his reverence since the day he married John and me.”