“And here;—this is her ladyship.”
“I ’ope her ladyship ’ad a pleasent journey to ’er new ’ome. I’m sure if I may presume, Sir Isaac, we shall all be very glad to serve her ladyship.”
(Like all well-trained English servants, Snagsby always dropped as many h’s as he could when conversing with his superiors. He did this as a mark of respect and to prevent social confusion, just as he was always careful to wear a slightly misfitting dress coat and fold his trousers so that they creased at the sides and had a wide flat effect in front.)
Lady Harman bowed a little shyly to his good wishes and was then led up to Mrs. Crumble, in a stiff black silk, who curtseyed with a submissive amiability to her new mistress. “I’m sure, me lady,” she said. “I’m sure——”
There was a little pause. “Here they are, you see, right and ready,” said Sir Isaac, and then with an inspiration, “Got any tea for us, Snagsby?”
Snagsby addressing his mistress inquired if he should serve tea in the garden or the drawing-room, and Sir Isaac decided for the garden.
“There’s another hall beyond this,” he said, and took his wife’s arm, leaving Mrs. Crumble still bowing amiably before the hall table. And every time she bowed she rustled richly....
“It’s quite a big garden,” said Sir Isaac.
§2
And so the woman who had been a girl three weeks ago, this tall, dark-eyed, slightly perplexed and very young-looking lady, was introduced to the home that had been made for her. She went about it with an alarmed sense of strange responsibilities, not in the least feeling that anything was being given to her. And Sir Isaac led her from point to point full of the pride and joy of new possession—for it was his first own house as well as hers—rejoicing over it and exacting gratitude.