The arrival of the new furniture and servants at the Hall was the signal for Aunt Deborah to leave it. The new housekeeper turned out to be Mrs. Wilson, my lady's woman, whose acquaintance we had made during that unlucky visit. She was full of her own consequence, found fault with everything, scolded the old servants, was barely civil to Amabel and a good deal less than civil to me.
The old housekeeper Jenny and Richard left the hall with Mrs. Deborah and also old Elsie, who was still alive and able, as she expressed it, to do a days' darg with any one.
I should mention perhaps, that Elsie's great nephew Alick Grahame who had attended his lady on her late visit to Highbeck was greatly smitten with our little Mary Lee, and some love passages had been between them. Elsie had at first been rather scandalized at her nephew for falling in love with a town-bred English girl, but Mary's pretty neat ways and kind attentions to herself had won her over, and she was well-pleased with the affair. So were we, for Alick was a fine young fellow, a favorite with his mistress and likely to do well in the world.
In due time came an avant-courier with news that my lady was on her way from Newcastle and might be expected by supper time. Every thing was now in a bustle to receive her, Mrs. Wilson was here, there, and every where, overseeing, scolding and arranging. Amabel and I were in our room, when she put her head in at the door without the ceremony of knocking and said in a sufficiently pert tone—
"Mrs. Leighton, I think on such a day as this, you might spare your woman to help me a little instead of keeping her here busy with that nonsensical embroidery!"
Amabel turned full upon her, her gray eyes lighting up—
"Did you knock, Wilson?" she asked carelessly. "I did not hear you!"
"I beg pardon!" said Wilson in a tone which sounded as if the words were dragged out of her—
"Very well!" said Amabel. "That will do. Be so good as to shut the door."
Wilson was absolutely cowed and went away without another word. I ventured to hint to Amabel that she had probably made an enemy of this woman.