William put on the overalls and gave himself up to his enthralling task. It was every bit as thrilling as he’d thought it would be. He spat and mixed and rubbed and spat and mixed and rubbed in blissful absorption.... He got the powder all over his face and hair and hands and overalls. Then he heard the sound of someone coming downstairs. He bent his head low over his work. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a large hot-looking woman enter, wearing an apron and a print dress.
“Gosh!” she exclaimed as though in despair. “Gosh! of all the places!”
At that minute a bell rang loudly and with a groan she turned and went from the room again. William went on with his task of cleaning the silver. The novelty of the process was wearing off and he was beginning to feel rather tired of it. He amused himself by tracing patterns upon the surface of the silver with the paste he had manufactured. He took a lot of trouble making a funny face upon the teapot which fortunately had a plain surface.
Then the large woman came down again. She entered the kitchen groaning and saying “Oh, lor!” and she was summoned upstairs again at once by an imperious peal of the bell. After a few minutes she came down again, still groaning and saying, “Oh, lor!... First she wants hot milk an’ then she wants cold milk an’ then she wants beef tea an’ then the Lord only knows what she wants ... first one thing an’ then another.... I’ve fair had enough of it an’ them goin’ off to their aunt’s an’ that Ellen ’oppin’ it an’ you not much help to a body, are you?” she asked sarcastically. Then she looked at his face and screamed. “My Gosh!... What’s ’appened to you?”
“Me?” said William blankly.
“Yes. Your face as gone an’ changed since jus’ a few minutes ago. What’s ’appened to it?”
“Nothin’,” said William.
“Well, it’s my nerves, then,” she said shrilly. “I’m startin’ seein’ things wrong. An’ no wonder.... Well, I’ve ’ad enough of it, I ’ave an’ I’m goin’ ’ome ... now ... first that Ellen ’oppin’ it an’ then them goin’ off an’ then ’er badgerin’ the life out of me. An’ then your face changin’ before me very eyes. Me nervous system’s wore out, that’s what it is, an’ I’ve ’ad enough of it. When people’s faces start changin’ under me very eyes it shows I needs a change an’ I’m goin’ to ’ave one. That Ellen ain’t the only one what can ’op it. ’Er an’ ’er bell-ringing—an’—an’ you an’ your face-changin’! ’Taint no place for a respectable woman. You can ’ave a taste of waitin’ on ’er an’ you can tell them I’ve gone an’ why—you an’ your face!”
During this tirade she had divested herself of her apron and clothed herself in her coat and hat. She stood now and looked at William for a minute in scornful silence. Then her glance wandered to his operations.
“Ugh!” she said in disgust, “you nasty little messer, you! Call yourself a house boy—changin’ your face every minute. What d’you think you are? A blinkin’ cornelian? An’ messin’ about like that. What d’you think you’re doin’? Distemperin’ the silver or cleanin’ it?”