Spring Days

his blood; I wi

to your kitchen; put that dreadfu

be revenged. He

ou see he has shut himself in; you

in hand, grinning, appreciating the discomfiture of

s shameful-think what a scandal you are making in the stable-yard. Go back to you

r blood!" she cried, battering at the door. The rattli

apron, cook; go back to your

her desire to have the coachman's blood. Maggie did not attempt to argue with her, but sternl

itchen table; he did it because I told you, miss, that he was carrying on with the kitchenmaid. He

kitchen, cook;

nd commanded the kitchenmaid to interfere no mo

Irish. I'll get rid of her as soon as I can. The place is filthy, but I

were heard coming down the

t back the dinner half an hou

of you, what w

l be a little late; it often is. He won't know a

ant to go down

. I don't ask y

down the slonk,"

e saucepan, and the kitchenm

ou're always trying to get up something against me.

id you. I'm m

the servants! Grace is mistre

sekeeping. I am mistress when sh

way to her, but I'm not going to give way to you. Cook,

e dinner will be read

n't be ready before seven, will it, cook

ouse. It was used by the gardeners, and it communicated with a path leading through some corn and grass land to the high road. There were five acres of land attached to the manor house,

ead of humouring him. We shall never hear the end of this. His dinner put back so that she may

very hard to put up with her in the servants' hall. She is a very violent-tempered woman; nor can I say much for her in othe

ny more stories about cook. Has t

s, but I saw Mr. Willy comin

ned to him and said: "Wher

Has father

ame by the

es

e a sword of state. Maggie followed him up the steep and vulgarly carpeted staircase that branched into the various passages forming the upper part of the house. Willy's room was precis

he quarter-to-seven

orrying; the train is com

will be a ro

hy

inner back; she has gone down

hat she must take her order

iven me charge of the house, when she could not attend to it; but Sally will listen to

tter with Grace

ever care for another man, and father will not give his consent. What's-his-name has nothing-only a small allowance; he'll never hav

I've had bad luck enough as it is, without r

her'll never get over it. I

n other people's affairs. I've had

airs, she found her fat

late to-night. Has Willy

, fa

d I don't think he is doing any good with that agency in Brighton. I never approved of one or the other.

in he

ing but trouble and vexation. I can't manage you, you are too strong for me. So she hasn't left her room; crying her eyes out, because I won't consent to her

you any trou

age your sister Sally. I hear that you, t

et him as I was going to the post-office.

e is

ut a few mi

ought to be dressing for dinner

e went down

th sooty shades; Willy's hair was brown. He was the fair one of the family, and his hair was always closely cut in military fashion, and he wore a long flowing military moustache with a tinge of red in it. His father and he were built on the same lines-

d elegantly angular, and often stood in picturesque attitudes; she stood in one now, with her ha

e was nothing but those wretched cottages facing the sea, the green, and a few cottages about it; but since those vill

e did not speak, however, for she knew her fathe

idiculous haberdashers, with a bas-relief of the founder of their house over the doorway. The proprietors of the baths, the Measons, poor as church

as we are, father. They may be

r where he comes from. When there are no young men, you will snub the old ladies fast enough; and as for Sally, sh

rlocks who tol

us for? That's what I want to know. We might never have known any one in the Southdown Road; I mean we never should, we

pon her. She was the only woman

, too. I like them exceedingly. I often go to see them, although the smell of that mastiff is more t

t let them be destroyed, she

ace met that young officer for whom she is crying her eyes out; and it was at her house-yes, I hadn't thought of it before-it was at her house that Willy met that swindler who induced him to put two thousand pounds into the Bond Street shop. The Southdown Road might have remained here for the next five hundred years, and we should have known nothing of it had it not been for Mrs. Horlock; if she lik

oodall. His anger melted, and he mused on the price he had paid, and the price he thought it was now worth. Fearing he would return to the Southdown Road trouble, Maggie said: "I am afra

ace. If it isn't one thing it is another. You are fit for nothing but pleasure and flirtation; there isn't a young man in the place or with

k to put the dinner

k to put my dinner

grasp or estimate. Was a father ever cursed with such daughters as his? He had been in the City all day working for them; he did not marry because he wished to leave them his money, and thi

t cry. Sally is thoughtl

e it will be all the same a hundred years hence." In moments of extreme trouble he sought refuge in such philosophy, but now it seemed inadequate and superficial, and M

ook care that his home never became quite unbearable to him; and when Sally entered the room, dark and brilliant in red velvet, and in no way disposed to admit she had been guilty of heinous wrong in countermanding the dinner, Magg

d Mr. Brookes, but his words were weak, it being doubtful if even Meason co

week she met him on the sea road,

of you, now, don't cry;

stently, although the replies she received were generally monosyllabic. As he chewed his meat with reflection and precaution, broke his bread with deliberate and well-defined movements, and filled his mouth with carefully chosen pieces, he gradually ventured to decide that he would not speak to his father that e

and his son retired to th

y. Since your poor mother died I've had no peace, none what

ered a favourable one to introduce his scheme to his father's notice, and he had made up his mind that

ry great deal of anxiety. I am all alone. I have no

or nothing but pleasure,