She sat down on the hearth-rug and began poking up the fire.
“That is right. If I do it, you must do things for me. Build up that fire to begin.”
Nan looked round at the insolent young figure stretched out in the easiest chair which the room contained. She built up the fire without a word.
“That is right; you can make yourself very useful. Now, run downstairs and ask one of the servants to bring me up some tea and toast, and a new-laid egg, and a little marmalade. Do not forget—toast, butter, tea, new-laid egg, and a little marmalade. I must say I think it was very thoughtless of Aunt Jessie not to order any food for me when I arrived.”
“Oh! did not she? Of course I will go and order the tea,” said Nan in a good-natured voice.
She left the room. Her heart was beating loudly. She did not like the position of things a bit, but she seemed to be whirled along by an influence stronger than her own.
“I am not even trying now to be one of the best girls,” she said under her breath.
When she came back to the schoolroom, Augusta was curled up close to the fire with Jack in her lap.
“What a nice little dog!” she said. “I should rather like to have him for my own.”
“Oh! but you can’t,” said Nan. “He is mine.”