XVI

I'mthe—assistantcookatthe'All,miss.LadyShuttleworth'sassistantcook.SirAugustusdesiredmetocookforyouto-day." "Thenpleasedoit." "Yesmiss.Whatdoyouwishforluncheon?" "Nothing." "Yesmiss.Andthegentleman—don'thewantnothingneither?" "He'llprobablytellyouwhenhedoes." "Yesmiss.It'saswelltoknowalittlebeforehand,ain'tit,miss.There'snothinginthe—a-hem—'ouse,andIsupposeI'dhavetobuysomething." "Pleasedo." "Yesmiss.Perhapsifyou'dtellmewhatthegentlemanlikesIcouldgooutandgetit." "ButIdon'tknowwhathelikes.Andwouldn'tyougetwet?Sendsomebody." "Yesmiss.Who?" Priscillagazedatheramoment."Ahyes—"shesaid,"Iforgot.I'mafraidthereisn'tanybody.Ithinkyouhadbetteraskmyunclewhathewants,andthenifyouwould—I'mverysorryyoushouldhavesuchbadweather—butifyoudon'tmind,wouldyougoandbuythethings?" "Yesmiss." Thegirlwentaway,andPriscillabeganforthefirsttimetoconsidertheprobabilityofherhavinginthenearfuturetothinkofandorderthreemealseverydayofherlifeandnotonlythreemeals,butshedimlyperceivedtherewouldbeamultitudeofotherdrearythingstothinkofandorder,—theirlinen,forinstance,mustbewashed,andhowdidonesetaboutthat?AndwouldnotFritzing'sbuttonspresentlycomeoffandhavetobesewnonagain?Hissocks,whentheywentintoholes,couldbethrownoutofthewindowandnewonesbought,butevenPriscillasawthatyoucouldnotthrowawholecoatoutofawindowbecauseitsbuttonshadcomeoff.Therewould,then,havetobesomemendingdoneforFritzing,andAnnalisewouldcertainlynotbetheonetodoit.Wasthesimplelifeasordidlifeaswell?Diditonlylooksimplefromoutsideandfaraway?Andwasit,close,meredrudging?Afearcameoverherthathersoul,herprecioussoul,forwhosesakeshehaddaredeverything,insteadofbeingabletospreaditswingsinthelightofagloriousclearlifewasgoingtobechokedoutofexistencebyweedsjustascompletelyasatKunitz. TheShuttleworthkitchenmaidmeanwhile,whowasnothinderedateveryturnbyaregardforhersoul,madeherwaytoFritzingasshehadbeentoldandinquiredofhimwhatsheshouldcookforhisdinner.NomanlikestobeinterruptedinhisgroaningsandFritzing,whowasnothungryandwasstartledbythesuddenappearanceofastrangerinhisroomaskinghimintimatequestions,apersonofwhosepresenceinthecottagehehadbeenunaware,flewather."Woman,whathaveItodowithyou?"hecried,stoppinginhiswalkandconfrontingherwithsurprisingfierceness."Isitseemlytoburstinonamanlikethis?Haveyounodecency?Norespectforanother'sprivacy?Begone,Icommandyou—begone!Begone!"Andhemadethesamemovementswithhishandsthatpersonsdowhentheyshooawayfowlsorotheranimalsinflocks. ThiswastoomuchfortheShuttleworthkitchenmaid.Theobligations,sheconsidered,wereallonthesideofCreeperCottage,andsheretreatedinamazementandangertothekitchen,putonherhatandmackintosh,andatoncedeparted,regardlessoftherainandtheconsequences,throughtwomilesofdrippinglanestoSymfordHall.WhatwouldhavehappenedtoherthereifshehadbeendiscoveredbyTussieIdonotknow,butIimaginei