It was quite true. But still, bit by bit, the room progressed towards a thing of beauty, and at length, after a period of about five weeks, the foreman in charge of the work announced in a tone of triumph that they had come to bid the household at Ye Dene adieu. He didn’t put it in those words, my reader, but that was his meaning.
“I am sure we are very much obliged to you,” said Julia. “You have been a very long time about it.”
“Well, lady, the workman gets blamed when the blame belongs to somebody else. You see, we had to wait for the paper, and when we got the paper we had to wait for the frieze, and then when we got the frieze we had to wait for that bit of paint just to finish off the doors. Still, it’ll last much longer because it has been slow in doin’.”
“Oh, really, will it?” said Julia, rather taken aback. “Oh, I’m glad of that, because, of course, as it takes such a long time doing, one doesn’t want to be often turned out of one’s room for so long. Thank you so much. Would you like a glass of beer?”
“Well, lady, a glass of beer never comes amiss to a man at the end of a hard day’s work,” rejoined the foreman. “Me and my mates thank you very much.”
So Julia called to one of the servants and ordered “Beer for these gentlemen” with a lavish air which the more frugal Regina might not have approved had she happened to be at home. Regina was, however, at that moment gracing with her dignified presence a platform devoted at that hour to the restriction of the sale of strong drinks, and the incident never came to her knowledge.
“Now, Maudie,” said Julia, “have you any suggestions to make?”
Maudie stood looking round and round the room which was to be their especial domain.
“It’s awfully pretty,” she said. “Well, as to suggestions, I should suggest that we get the floor done before we do anything else.”
“Yes. And then I suggest that we choose the chintz,” said Julia.