"Twelve dollars a week! Fifty dollars a month!" cried Madge, and clapped her hands. "We can have bonnets all round; and the hay and the apples won't matter. Fifty dollars a month! Why, Lois!--"

"It would be an awful bother," said Charity.

"Mrs. Wishart says not. At least she says this lady--this Mrs.

Barclay--is a delightful person, and we shall like her so much we shall not mind the trouble. Besides, I do not think it will be so much trouble. And we do not use our parlour much. I'll read you the letter now."

So she did; and then followed an eager talk.

"She is a city body, of course. Do you suppose she will be contented with our ways of going on?" Charity queried.

"What ways do you mean?"

"Well--will our table suit her?"

"We can make it suit her," said Madge. "Just think--with fifty dollars a month--"

"But we're not going to keep a cook," Charity went on. "I won't do that. I can do _all_ the work of the house, but I can't do half of it.

And if I do the cooking, I shall do it just as I have always done it. I can't go to fussing. It'll be country ways she'll be treated to; and the question is, how she'll like 'em?"

"She can try," said Lois.

"And then, maybe she'll be somebody that'll take airs."

"Perhaps," said Lois, laughing; "but not likely. What if she did, Charity? That would be her affair."

"It would be my affair to bear it," said Charity grimly.

"Daughters," said Mrs. Armadale gently, "suppose we have some tea."

This suggestion brought all to their bearings. Madge set the table briskly, Charity made the tea, Lois cut bread and made toast; and presently talking and eating went on in the harmonious combination which is so agreeable.

"If she comes," said Lois, "there must be curtains to the parlour windows. I can make some of chintz, that will look pretty and not cost much. And there must be a cover for the table."

"Why must there? The table is nice mahogany," said Charity.

"It looks cold and bare so. All tables in use have covers, at Mrs.

Wishart's."

"I don't see any sense in that. What's the good of it?"

"Looks pretty and comfortable."

"That's nothing but a notion. I don't believe in notions. You'll tell me next our steel forks won't do."

"Well, I do tell you that. Certainly they will not do, to a person always accustomed to silver."

"That's nothing but uppishness, Lois. I can't stand that sort of thing.

Steel's _just_ as good as silver, only it don't cost so much; that's all."

"It don't taste as well."

"You don't need to eat your fork."

"No, but you have to touch your lips to it."

"How does that hurt you, I want to know?"

"It hurts my taste," said Lois; "and so it is uncomfortable. If Mrs.

Barclay comes, I should certainly get some plated forks. Half a dozen would not cost much."

"Mother," said Charity, "speak to Lois! She's getting right worldly, I think. Set her right, mother!"

"It is something I don't understand," said the old lady gravely. "Steel forks were good enough for anybody in the land, when I was young. I don't see, for my part, why they ain't just as good now."

Lois wisely left this question unanswered.

"But you think we ought to let this lady come, mother, don't you?"

"My dear," said Mrs. Armadale, "I think it's a providence!"

"And it won't worry you, grandmother, will it?"

"I hope not. If she's agreeable, she may do us good; and if she's disagreeable, we may do her good."

"That's grandma all over!" exclaimed Charity; "but if she's disagreeable, I'll tell you what, girls, I'd rather scrub floors.

'Tain't my vocation to do ugly folks good."

"Charity," said Mrs. Armadale, "it _is_ your vocation. It is what everybody is called to do."

"It's what you've been trying to do to me all my life, ain't it?" said Charity, laughing. "But you've got to keep on, mother; it ain't done yet. But I declare! there ought to be somebody in a house who can be disagreeable by spells, or the rest of the world'd grow rampant."

CHAPTER XX.

SHAMPUASHUH.

It was in vain to try to talk of anything else; the conversation ran on that one subject all the evening. Indeed, there was a great deal to be thought of and to be done, and it must of necessity be talked of first.

"How soon does she want to come?" Mrs. Armadale asked, meaning of course the new inmate proposed for the house.

"Just as soon as we are ready for her; didn't you hear what I read, grandmother? She wants to get into the country air."

"A queer time to come into the country!" said Charity. "I thought city folks kept to the city in winter. But it's good for us."