“Things couldn’t be worse,” said Harriet. “It’s all a smash together. The house is bankrupt.”
“Lord help us!” ejaculated Margery.
Harriet let her work fall on the table, and leant her head towards Margery’s, her voice dropped to a whisper.
“I say! We have a man in here!”
“In here!” breathlessly rejoined Margery.
Harriet nodded. “Since last Tuesday. There’s one stopping here, and there’s another at Ashlydyat. Margery, I declare to you when they were going through the house, them creatures, I felt that sick, I didn’t know how to bear it. If I had dared I’d have upset a bucket of boiling water over the lot as they came up the stairs.”
Margery sat, revolving the news, a terribly blank look upon her face. Harriet resumed.
“We shall all have to leave, every soul of us: and soon, too, we expect. I don’t know about you, you know. I am so sorry for my mistress!”
“Well!” burst forth Margery, giving vent to her indignation; “he has brought matters to a fine pass!”