"Yes, miss," said cook, "we've all of us had full mourning, as was only decent. And I happen to know that Mr Miller paid for it. Indeed, he paid for everything. And considering the handsome way in which it has all been done, nothing stinted, nothing mean, a pretty penny it must have cost."
I exchanged glances with Dick and perceived that we were both of opinion that we had had enough of cook. I told her so.
"I have heard what you have had to say. And now, please, will you leave the room?"
"Excuse me, miss, but that's exactly what I don't intend to do--not till I know how I stand."
"How you stand?"
"I'll soon tell you how you stand," declared Dick. "You'll be paid a month's wages and you'll take yourself off."
"Oh, shall I, sir? That's just the sort of thing I thought you would say after the way you've been trying to behave to Mr Miller. And in any case I shouldn't think of stopping in the house with a pack of rude, ungrateful children. But I should like more than one month's wages, if it's the same to you. There's three months nearly due. I've not had one penny since I've been inside this house."
"Not since you've been inside this house?"
"Not one penny; and it's getting on for three months now."
"But I thought mother always paid you every month regularly."