When master went in, he was quite flabbergasted to see that old lady, in her wonderful cap, talking away, and saying this ought to be altered and that ought to be altered, and he didn’t know who she was at first, not recognizing her, till she came up and said—
“Good evening, sir; I’m just looking round to see if things are as they should be.”
“Oh, thank you,” said the master, hardly knowing what to say. “But I won’t trouble you to do that.”
“Oh, it’s no trouble,” she said; “I’m used to these affairs. If you’ll allow me to say it, sir, I don’t care for these artificial flowers about the place. They should be real.”
“Perhaps so,” said master; “but if you’ll kindly stay below and look after the servants, that is all you need do at present.”
He was anxious to get her out of the way before missus came down, because he guessed there would be trouble if missus found that old lady interfering and giving orders.
Missus was like that. She wouldn’t allow anybody to interfere with her, and she was very touchy on the point. Once she wanted to leave the house they were living in, and master put it in the agent’s hands and advertised it, and a gentleman and his wife came and looked at it several times, and everything was settled, and the deed or agreement, or whatever you call it, was to be signed, when, the day before, the lady who was going to take the house came to look over it again, and, going over the drawing-room with missus, she said, “I don’t think the colour of your curtains harmonizes with the paper. When I have the house, I shall have the curtains such and such a colour.”
That was enough for missus. She fired up directly, and said, “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t consult you when I was putting my curtains up, but the colour suits me well enough, and you won’t alter it, because you won’t have the house!”
And then there were a few words, and the lady thought it best to retire.