“No, not really?” Maynard was all attention; he had ceased watching the children playing about the base of the Farragut monument. “Have you had a talk with Mrs. Ward since her illness?”
“I only exchanged a few words with her when I went to inquire how she was,” answered Evelyn. “Matilda has always been a silent, morose woman, a good worker, and for all her peculiarities she gets on well with the servants.”
“Have you had all your servants a long time?”
Evelyn reflected before she answered. “The chambermaid and mother’s maid and the second man are new; only came this summer; but Mrs. Ward has been with us over three years, while Jones came over ten years ago.”
“Is Jones a trustworthy servant?”
“Well, rather,” Evelyn laughed merrily. “He is the oddest character. Hasn’t he confided to you about the Missions and his ‘human derelicts’?”
“His what?”
“Reclaimed souls. A year ago mother got very much wrought up over the ex-gamblers, ex-thieves, ex-swindlers—there may have been a few ex-murderers among his friends, to whom he offered the hospitality of our servants’ hall, so she suggested that the Lord had called him to join a mission, and now he is entirely happy in his new field. He levies contributions on us once and so often to help support it; I shouldn’t be a bit surprised if mother has to adopt the mission in order to keep Jones.”
“You think he is worth keeping?”
Evelyn looked at Maynard in great surprise. “Yes, indeed. Jones really is an excellent butler, and kind and considerate to the other servants. His eccentricities are growing on him, I’ll admit. He infuriated my step-father last winter by using religious mottoes on the icing of cakes and having the floral decorations made in the shape of crosses. I rather enjoyed their rows.”