“I’ve ben hironin’ like a fiend to-day,” she said in a self-satisfied tone, “an’ there’ll be plenty o’ time this afternoon to finish, an’ to put up them tomatoes as ’as ben waiting to be put up. You’ll ’ave to ’elp, Barbara, if we’re to get them done in time.”
“That will be impossible, I’m afraid,” said Barbara, endeavoring to keep her voice calm. “Susan Hunt is coming over this afternoon for a lesson.”
“Oh, well, put ’er off,” replied the Duchess.
Barbara moved uneasily. “No,” she answered steadily. “I don’t wish to put her off. The tomatoes can be put up to-morrow.”
“Them tomatoes is just right now, an’ it’s so warm, lots O’ them will spoil afore mornin’,” the Duchess answered, the smile dying out of her face. “Go to the telephone, Barbara, an’ tell that ’Unt girl she can’t come. She’s ben runnin’ ’ere enough lately, an’ I can’t get through them tomatoes alone.”
For a moment Barbara wavered. Insufferable as she felt this dictation to be, she thought of the comfort and order of the house, and her heart sank at the thought of losing them. Then Miss Bates’s words suddenly came back to her: “You haven’t the say about anything any more; they say you’re completely changed.”
She turned on the unsuspecting Duchess. “Mrs. Harris,” she said determinedly, “you ordered those tomatoes yesterday, when I had decided that it was best not to have them until later, because of the ironing. Now you want to put them up when it is inconvenient to me to do so, because you have them on your hands, and they may spoil. I cannot help you this afternoon. If you cannot attend to them alone, let them go until to-morrow, when I shall be at leisure. We shall simply have to throw away those tomatoes which are not good.”
Auburn should have seen the expression of the Duchess. Good-humor gave way to surprise, which was succeeded by disapproval, in turn to be routed by annoyance. It was not until the last sentence that a Jove-like rage sat upon her reddening countenance.
“You won’t do them tomatoes?” she inquired in a queer voice.
“No,” said Barbara.