“You are quite right, Fanny,” said Arthur, who saw that his wife was annoyed without very well knowing why. “I daresay Nelly is a better servant—notwithstanding the unfortunate chickens of to-day, which was our own fault, you know—than the decayed gentlewoman. She will be a second Janet, yet—an institution, an established fact in the history of the family. We couldn’t do without Nelly. Eh, Graeme?”
Graeme smiled, and said nothing. Rose answered for her.
“No, indeed I am so glad Nelly will see Mrs Snow.”
“Very well,” said Mrs Grove. “Since Miss Elliott seems to be satisfied with Nelly, I suppose she must stay. It is a pity you had not known sooner, Fanny, so as to save me the trouble of making an appointment for her. But she may as well come, and you can see her at any rate.”
Her carriage being at the door, she went away, and a rather awkward silence followed her departure.
“What is it all about! Who is Mrs Tilman?” asked Arthur.
“Some one Mrs Grove has seen,” said Graeme, evasively.
“But what about Nelly? Surely you are not thinking of changing servants, Graeme?”
“Oh! I hope not; but Nelly has been out of sorts lately—grumbled a little—”
“Out of sorts, grumbled!” exclaimed Fanny, vexed that Mrs Grove had introduced the subject, and more vexed still that Arthur should have addressed his question to Graeme. “She has been very disagreeable, indeed, not to say impertinent, and I shall not bear it any longer.”