"I know! I read once of a way to make stale bread new, Sarah, and I tried it for fun, and it acted beautifully."
Sarah looked sceptical.
"I'll show you with a small piece. Now let me see—first you pass it under the cold-water tap—like this—then you put it in the oven for about ten minutes."
At the end of the ten minutes she brought it forth triumphantly.
"Well, I never!" exclaimed Sarah, admiringly. "I must tell mother that! And oh, miss, I meant to tell you butter's gone up tuppence, and we do use such an orful lot!"
Nell sighed. "I've noticed we spend much more on it than Aunt Kezia did."
"Oh, yes, that's because you none liked the second best, miss, so I hordered the best. Even Miss Sheilerpat said she would as soon 'ave her bread buttered with candle grease, a little bit of a thing like 'er! You see, miss, you've been used to country butter and the best, living in a castle as you did—"
Nell hardly smiled.
"But which does Aunt Kezia have, Sarah?"
"The second best. She's a Scotch lady, you see, miss, and different and—it seemed to grow worse lately—"