"It is hard, darling," said Margaret, gently, "but you will get all you want soon; you know every one does what you like at last; you must just make him do it after a bit, when you know him better."
Grace's next effort was in the direction of the cook; she was determined to bring about a great improvement in her performances. Had she not attended a whole series of cookery classes, and learned how to ice cakes, and many other useful things? With great dignity she rang the drawing-room bell, and when Robert appeared she said, "Send the cook to me."
Robert grinned from ear to ear, and came back again in a very few minutes.
"Cook's busy and cannot come." He stood and looked at her.
Grace made no answer.
"I am to take any message," he said, longing to raise some little disturbance.
"If she does not choose to come for orders I shall give none," she said after a moment with a visible accession to her dignity, and Robert reluctantly departed.
The sisters began unpacking their things, and Grace's spirits rose when they had made their room more like the only home they had ever known.
That evening, when dinner was over, Grace began upon the subject of her duties to Mr. Sandford.
"I do not want to lead a useless life," she began, having well thought over her speech beforehand, but finding it terribly difficult to say it to him now, while his grey eyes, keen, hard, and cold, looked at her unflinchingly, "I want to be useful."