Evelyn rubbed her eyes.
“I won’t submit, of course,” she said. “No, I won’t submit for a minute. But, Jasper, I must have some breakfast; I am too hungry for anything. Perhaps you had better take all my darling, lovely clothes; and if you have to go, Jasper, I’ll—I’ll never forget you; but I’ll talk to you more about it when I have had something to eat.”
Evelyn turned and left the room. She was in an ugly dress, beyond doubt, but in her neat black shoes and stockings, and with her fair hair tied back according to Lady Frances’s directions, she looked rather more presentable than she had done the previous day. She entered the breakfast-room. The remains of a meal still lay upon the table. Evelyn looked impatiently round. Surely some one ought to appear—a servant at the very least! Hot tea she required, hot coffee, dishes nicely cooked and tempting and fresh. The little girl went to the bell and rang it. A footman appeared.
“Get my breakfast immediately,” said Evelyn.
The man withdrew, endeavoring to hide a smile. Evelyn’s conduct in daring to defy Lady Frances had been the amusement of the servants’ hall that morning. The man went to the kitchen premises now with the announcement that “miss” had come to her senses.
“She is as white as a sheet, and looks as mad as a hatter,” said the man; “but her spirit ain’t broke. My word! she ’ave got a will of her own. ‘My breakfast, immediate,’ says she, as though she were the lady of the manor.”
“Which she will be some day,” said cook; “and I ’ates to think of it. Our beautiful Miss Audrey supplanted by the like of her. There, Johnson! my missus said that Miss Wynford was to have quite a plain breakfast, so take it up—do.”
Toast, fresh tea, and one solitary new-laid egg were placed on a tray and brought up to the breakfast-room.
Evelyn sat down without a word, poured herself out some tea, ate every crumb of toast, finished her egg, and felt refreshed. She had just concluded her meal when Audrey, accompanied by Arthur Jervice, ran into the room.
“Oh, I say, Evelyn,” cried Audrey, “you are the very person that we want. We are getting up charades for to-night; will you join us?”