"Come in, Johnson," he said, to a ruddy-faced farmer, who was accompanied by a shy boy with a swelled face. "Come in; glad to see you, my friend. Is Tommy's toothache better?"

Alice said afterwards that she never felt smaller in her life than when Dr. Maybright opened the study door to show her out.

"Ef I'd been a queen he couldn't have done it more elegant," she remarked. "Eh, but he's a blessed man, and one would put up with two Miss Pollys for the sake of serving him."

The Doctor having conquered Alice, again forgot his second daughter's vagaries, but a much sterner and more formidable interview was in store for him; it was one thing to conquer Alice, who was impressionable, and had a soft heart, and another to encounter the stony visage and rather awful presence of Mrs. Power.

"It's to give notice I've come, Dr. Maybright," she said, dropping a curtsey, and twisting a corner of her large white ap.r.o.n round with one formidable red hand. "It's to give notice. This day month, please, Doctor, and, though I says it as shouldn't, you won't get no one else to jelly your soups, nor feather your potatoes, nor puff your pastry, as Jane Power has done. But there's limits, Dr. Maybright; and I has come to give you notice, though out of no disrespect to you, sir."

"Then why do you do it, Mrs. Power?" said the Doctor. "You are an honest and conscientious servant, I know that from your late mistress's testimony. You cook very good dinners too, and you make suitable puddings for the children, and pastry not too rich. Why do you want to leave? I don't like change; and, if it is a question of wages, perhaps I may be able to meet you."

"I'm obligated to you, Doctor; but it ain't that. I has my twenty-two pounds paid regular, and all found. I ain't grumbling on that score, and Jane Power was never havaricious nor grasping. I'm obligated too by what you says with respect to the pastry; but, Doctor, it ain't in mortal woman to stand a chit of a child being put over her. So I'm going this day month; and, with your leave, I'll turn the key in the kitchen-door next week, or else I'll forfeit my wage and go at once."

"Dear, dear," said the Doctor. "This is really embarra.s.sing. I never thought that Polly's experience would upset the household economy in so marked a manner. I am really annoyed, for I certainly gave her leave to housekeep for a week."

"It isn't as I minds youth, Dr. Maybright," continued Mrs. Power. "I makes due allowances for the young, for I says to myself, 'Jane Power, you was once, so to speak, like an unfledged chick yourself;' but there's youth _and_ youth, Dr. Maybright; and Miss Polly's of the kind as makes your 'air stand on hend."

"Poor Polly," said the Doctor.

"No, sir, begging your parding, if you was in the kitchen, it's 'poor Mrs. Power' you'd be a-saying. Now I don't say nothing agin Miss Nelly--she's the elder, and she have nice ways with her--she takes a little bit after my poor dear mistress; oh, what a nature was hers, blessed angel!"

Here Mrs. Power rolled her eyes skywards, and the Doctor, turning his back, walked to the window.

"Be brief," he said, "I am pressed for time."

"Sir, I was never one for long words; agen' Miss Helen I haven't a word to say. She comes down to the kitchen after breakfast as pretty as you please, and she says, 'Power,' says she, 'you'll advise me about the dinner to-day,' says she. 'Shall we have minced collops, or roast beef?

And shall we have fruit tart with custard?' Pretty dear, she don't know nothink, and she owns it, and I counsel her, as who that wasn't the most hard-hearted would. But Miss Polly, she's all on wires like, and she bounds in and she says that I pepper the soup too strong, and that I ought to go to cookery schools, and ef I'll go with her that blessed minit she'll tell me what I wants in my own store-room. There's limits.

Dr. Maybright, and Miss Polly's my limits; so, ef you'll have no objection, sir, I'll go this day month."

"But I have an objection," replied Dr. Maybright. "Even Polly's experiment must not cost me a valuable servant. Mrs. Power, I have promised my little girl, and I feel more than convinced that her week's trial will ensure to you the freedom you desire and deserve in the future. Listen, I have a plan. Suppose you go for a week's holiday on Monday?"

"Oh, my word, sir! And are you to be poisoned hout and hout?"

"That is unlikely. Maggie, your kitchen-maid, is fond of cooking, and she won't quarrel with Miss Polly. Let us consider it arranged, then. A week's holiday won't do you any harm, cook, and your expenses I will defray. Now, excuse me, I must go out at once. The carriage has been at the door for some time."

CHAPTER X.

INDIGESTION WEEK.

It was quite early on the following Monday morning when a light tap was heard outside the door of the room where Helen and Polly slept. It was a very light, modest, and uncertain tap, and it has not the smallest effect upon Helen, who lay in soft slumber, her pretty eyes closed, her gentle face calm and rounded and child-like, and the softest breathing coming from her rosy, parted lips.

Another little girl, however, was not asleep. At that modest tap up sprang a curly head, two dark, bright eyes opened wide, two white feet sprang quickly but noiselessly on to the floor, and Polly had opened the bedroom door wide to admit the short, dumpy, but excited little person of Maggie, the kitchen-maid.

"She's a-going, Miss Polly--she's a-packing her bandbox now, and putting the strap on. She's in a hawful temper, but she'll be out of the house in less than half an hour. There's a beautiful fire in the kitchen, Miss, and the pan for frying bacon is polished up so as you could 'most see yourself in it. And the egg-saucepan is there all 'andy, and the kettle fizzing and sputtering. I took cook up her breakfast, but she said she didn't want none of our poisonous messes, and she'd breakfast with her cousin in the village if we'd no objection. She'll be gone in no time now, Miss Polly, and I'm a-wanting to know when you'll be a-coming down stairs."

"I'm going to dress immediately, Maggie," said Polly. "I've scarcely slept all night, for this is an anxious moment for me. I'll join you in half an hour at the latest, Maggie, and have lots of saucepans and frying-pans and gridirons ready. Keep the fire well up too, and see that the oven is hot. There, fly away, I'll join you soon."

Maggie, who was only sixteen herself, almost skipped down the pa.s.sage.

After the iron reign of Mrs. Power, to work for Polly seemed like play to her.

"She's a duck," she said to herself, "a real cozy duck of a young lady.

Oh, my word, won't we spin through the stores this week! Won't we just!"

Meanwhile Polly was hastily getting into her clothes. She did not wish to wake Helen, for she was most anxious that no one should know that on the first morning of her housekeeping she had arisen soon after six o'clock. Her plans were all laid beforehand, and a wonderfully methodical and well arranged programme, considering her fourteen years, was hers; she was all agog with eagerness to carry it out.

"Oh, won't they have a breakfast this morning," she said to herself.

"Won't they open their eyes, and won't Bob and Bunny look greedy. And Firefly--I must watch Firefly over those hot cakes, or she may make herself sick. Poor father and Nell--they'll both be afraid at first that I'm a little too lavish and inclined to be extravagant, but they'll see by-and-by, and they'll acknowledge deep down in their hearts that there never was such a housekeeper as Polly."

As the little maid dreamed these pleasant thoughts she scrambled somewhat untidily into her clothes, gave her hair a somewhat less careful brush than usual, and finally knelt down to say her morning prayer. Helen still slept, and Polly by a sudden impulse chose to kneel by Helen's bed and not her own. She pressed her curly head against the mattress, and eagerly whispered her pet.i.tions. She was excited and sanguine, for this was to her a moment of triumph; but as she prayed a feeling of rest and yet of longing overpowered her.

"Oh, I am happy to-day," she murmured--"but oh, mother, oh, mother, I'd give everything in all the wide world to have you back again! I'd live on bread and water--I'd spend years in a garret just for you to kiss me once again, mother, mother!"

Helen stirred in her sleep, for Polly's last impulsive words were spoken aloud.

"Has mother come back?" she asked.

Her eyes were closed, she was dreaming. Polly bent down and answered her.

"No," she said. "It is only me--the most foolish of all her children, who wants her so dreadfully."

Helen sighed, and turned her head uneasily, and Polly, wiping away some moisture from her eyes, ran out of the room.

Her housekeeping ap.r.o.n was on, her precious money box was under her arm, the keys of the linen-press jingled against a thimble and a couple of pencils in the front pocket of the ap.r.o.n. Polly was going down stairs to fulfill her great mission; it was impossible for her spirits long to be downcast. The house was deliciously still, for only the servants were up at present, but the sun sent in some rays of brightness at the large lobby windows, and the little girl laughed aloud in her glee.

"Good morning, sun! it is nice of you to smile at me the first morning of my great work. It is very good-natured of you to come instead of sending that disagreeable friend of yours, Mr. Rain. Oh, how delicious it is to be up early. Why, it is not half-past six yet--oh, what a breakfast I shall prepare for father!"

In the kitchen, which was a large, cheerful apartment looking out on the vegetable garden, Polly found her satellite, Maggie, on the very tiptoe of expectation.

"I has laid the servants' breakfast in the 'all, Miss Polly; I thought as you shouldn't be bothered with them, with so to speak such a lot on your hands this morning. So I has laid it there, and lit a fire for them, and all Jane has to do when she's ready is to put the kettle on, for the tea's on the table in the small black caddy, so there'll be no worriting over them. And ef you please, Miss Polly, I made bold to have a cup of tea made and ready for you, Miss--here it is, if you please, Miss, and a cut off the brown home-made loaf."

"Delicious," said Polly; "I really am as hungry as possible, although I did not know it until I saw this nice brown bread-and-b.u.t.ter. Why, you have splendid ideas in you, Maggie; you'll make a first-rate cook yet.

But now"--here the young housekeeper thought it well to put on a severe manner--"I must know what breakfast you have arranged for the servants'

hall. It was good-natured of you to think of saving me trouble, Maggie, but please understand that during this week you do nothing on your own responsibility. _I_ am the housekeeper, and although I don't say I am old, I am quite old enough to be obeyed."

"Very well, Miss," said Maggie, who had gone to open her oven, and poke up the fire while Polly was speaking; "it's a weight off my shoulders, Miss, for I wasn't never one to be bothered with thinking. Mother says as I haven't brains as would go on the top of a sixpenny-bit, so what's to be expected of me, Miss. There, the oven's all of a beautiful glow, and 'ull bake lovely. You was asking what breakfast I has put in the servants' 'all--well, cold bacon and plenty of bread, and a good pat of the cooking b.u.t.ter. Why, Miss Polly, oh, lor, what is the matter, Miss?"

"Only that you have done very wrong, Maggie," said Polly. "You would not like to have lots of good things going up to the dining-room, and have no share yourself. I call it selfish of you, Maggie, for of course you knew you would be in the kitchen with me, and would be sure to come in for bits. Cold bacon, indeed! Poor servants, they're not likely to care for my housekeeping if that is all I provide for them! No, Maggie, when I made out my programme, I thought of the servants as well as the family. I will just refer to my tablets, Maggie, and see what breakfast I arranged for the hall for Monday morning."

While Polly was speaking Maggie opened her eyes and mouth wider and wider and when the young lady read aloud from her tablets she could not suppress an expostulatory "oh!"

"Monday--kitchen breakfast," read Polly--"Bacon, eggs, marmalade, sardines. Hot coffee, fresh rolls, if possible."

"My word, but that is wasteful," said Maggie.

Polly's cheeks flushed. She glanced at her small handmaid, raised her hand in a reproving manner, and continued to read--