Mary was guiltily conscious that she found criticism of Ursula pleasant.
"Yes, she had a lot of interest in your chair covers, hadn't she?"
"Now what on earth did you hear about them?"
The old woman chuckled and, bending forward, patted Mary's hand with stiff fingers.
"Now don't you take on about that. Your Violet told her cousin, Mrs. Jellaby, what lives down in Spring Cottages. And she came in here a bit back for a talk and told me how young Mrs. Foster had been staying up at Anderby, and how she'd been wanting you to get oyster satin cushions with black borders. 'Ah've no notion what oyster satin covers is like,' ah says, 'but t' my mind, it sounds a bit messy.'"
"Violet has no business to repeat things she hears in the house."
"Why, bless you, don't you know a lass will tell owt tiv' her friends whether she's in service or not? Ye can't stop it, Mrs. Robson. Ye might as well get butter out of a dog's throat as a bit of gossip back from a lass who's once heard tell on't."
"I suppose so. But it's rather hard on me, isn't it, if I can't even keep my chair covers to myself?"
Mary smiled half whimsically, unable to be as annoyed as her dignity demanded.
"Now then don't you go fashin' yourself about your chair covers. If Violet says owt, it's never but what it's to your credit. I'm sure lass or lady, there's none better respected on whole o' t' woldside, seek where you like."