“You can understand that I shouldn’t like you to come into my service merely to go out of it again,” observed Lucy. But her silent reflection was that household regulations which prevent a comfortable courtship must surely do much to promote regardless, rash, improvident marriage.
“No, ma’am, I’ve no such thought,” said Jane soberly.
“Then can you enter on your duties to-morrow?” asked Mrs. Challoner rather anxiously, for to-morrow was the last day of the old year, and New Year’s Day falling on Sunday, St. George’s Institute would open on Monday, though duties there might not be very stringent for a day or two later.
“Oh, yes, ma’am,” answered Jane, with more vivacity than she had shown over her love affairs. “For my time is up to-morrow morning, and it costs a girl a good deal if she has to pay for board and lodging between her places.”
So Jane Smith in a cab, with a big brown box, duly arrived on Friday about noon. She was soon installed in her duties, and when Mrs. Brand arrived to pay her sister a call on the last day of the year, Jane “opened the door” with the dull propriety of one who has done it for months. Mrs. Brand was startled.
“What! Is the prodigy gone?” she exclaimed as Jane showed her into the parlour, “or have you hired a girl to help her? Lucy, that would be a brilliant idea, for the poor old thing is too old for running about, and yet I suppose she is a good figure-head for you to leave at home, when you are to be so much away. I always said you ought to have two. You’ve done too much servant’s work.”
Lucy drew her sister within the parlour.
“I have not two, certainly not,” she answered patiently, “but I had a terrible disappointment with Mrs. Morison, and she had to go. She drank.” Lucy spoke in the low impressive voice which marked her horror of the discovery.
Mrs. Brand laughed.
“Oh, I expected that,” she said. “It’s the commonest thing in London cooks. Yes, I know it’s very bad, but there are faults in everybody. She did cook well, Luce; I noticed that when I took a little supper with you, and I’ve said to Jem since what a comfort it was to me to know you were getting decent food. I don’t think you should have been so hard on her. What has become of your Christian charity? You might have told her that if it ever happened again, you would give her straight over to the police. That would have pulled her up and kept her in check for a time, and you would have got the good of her in the meantime. It’s too bad not to have had a little patience with a poor sinner. I’m shocked at you.”