"What brought you here?"
"Shall I go out to the garden and get some vegetables for dinner?" asked Hannah.
"Of course you may. You needn't have come up here to ask," said her mistress, with irritation.
"I didn't know whether you would want any," said Hannah, defending herself. "There was some cold vegetables left from yesterday's dinner. I thought maybe you'd have them warmed over."
"Well, if there are enough left you may warm them. I'll come down just as soon as I can. I have been looking over some old papers of my husband's," she explained, rather awkwardly, perceiving that Hannah's eyes were bent curiously upon the will and the candle, "and burning such as were of no value. Do you know what time it is?"
"Most eleven, by the kitchen clock," said Hannah.
"Then you had better go down, and hurry about dinner."
"I can take down the old papers, and put them in the kitchen stove," suggested Hannah.
"It's of no consequence," said Mrs. Oakley, hastily. "I will attend to that myself."