'Well, you must confess, mother, he's downright mean; and you've often enough said Mrs. Dagworthy spent more money than pleased him. I know very well I shouldn't like to be his wife.' 'You wait till he asks you, Jessie,' cried Barbara, with sisterly reproof. 'I don't suppose he's very likely to ask any of you,' said Mrs. Cartwright, with a laugh which was not very hearty. 'Now, Geraldine, _when_ are you going to have done your breakfast? Here's ten o'clock, and you seem as if you'd never stop eating. I won't have this irregularity. Now tomorrow morning I'll have the table cleared at nine o'clock, and if you're not down you'll go without breakfast altogether, mind what I say.' The threat was such an old one that Geraldine honoured it with not the least attention, but helped herself abundantly to marmalade, which she impasted solidly on buttered toast, and consumed with much relish. 'Now you've got Emily here,' pursued Mrs. Cartwright, turning her attack upon Jessie, 'what are you going to do with her? Are you going to have your lessons in this room?' 'I don't know. What do _you_ say, Emily?' Emily was clearly of Opinion that lessons under such conditions were likely to be of small profit. 'If it were not so far,' she said, 'I should propose that you came to me every other day; I should think that will be often enough.' 'Why, it's just as far for you to come here,' exclaimed Mrs. Cartwright. 'If you're good enough to teach her--great, lazy thing that she is!--the least she can do is to save you all the trouble she can.' 'I've got an idea,' observed Jessie. 'Why shouldn't we have lessons in the garden?' 'That's just as bad. Emily 'll have the same distance to walk. Don't hear of it, Emily; you make her come to Banbrigg!' 'I don't in the least mind the walk,' Emily said. 'Perhaps we might take it in turns, one lesson in the garden and the next at Banbrigg.' After ten minutes' vociferous discussion, during which Emily held her peace, this plan was eventually agreed upon. Jessie ran upstairs to prepare herself to go forth. 'Now don't you let her waste your time, Emily,' said Mrs. Cartwright, in the girl's absence. 'If you see she's doing no good, just give it up. I don't half like the thought of making you drudge in this way in your holidays. I'm sure it's very kind of you to have offered to do it, and it's certain she'll mind you more than she would any one else. She doesn't care a scrap for all I say to her, though she knows well enough it's as much as her father can do to keep things going at all. There never was such bad times in _my_ recollection! How are things in London? Did you hear much complaint?' Emily found it hard to resist a smile at the thought of Mr. Athel or any of those belonging to him indulging in complaints of this nature. 'And what sort of people are they you've got with this time?' the other went on to ask. 'Do they treat you well?' 'Very well indeed.'