“Bless your kind heart, I do.”
As he ate his soup, she hovered about him, eager to talk over the fire and the soul-stirring events on the green. Knowing her to be a faithful servant of the House of Chandos and devoted to its mistress, he yielded to the temptation to draw from her some expression of opinion. Obviously she sided with Authority.
“My lady’ll never be the same again, never!”
“In what way do you think she will change?”
“The ingratitude of ’em’ll eat into her bones.”
“Ah! Lady Selina used that word.”
Mrs. Rockram expressed the positive opinion that no other word could be used by a perfect lady. Emboldened by Grimshaw’s silence, she went on:
“I know my place, sir, but I did pass the remark to Rockram: ‘Her ladyship’ll up and leave us,’ I says, ‘to stew in our own sauce.’ ”
“I can’t see her ladyship outside Upworthy.”
“Maybe. But I have seen her. In my day we went to London every year.”