"Who's trying to pick a quarrel now?" retorted Edward; "when missus said we was always to be peaceful and orderly in the kitchen." "Not me, I'm sure," said the housemaid. "I wouldn't bemean myself to quarrel." "Now don't, dear," said cook; "Mr Eddard's agoin' to tell us all about it, and really, you know, if it ain't for all the world like chapters out o' that book as missus had from Mugie's libery--the one you brought up out of the drawin'-room, and read of a night when we was in bed." "Stuff!" said the housemaid tartly. "Now, don't say so, dear," said the cook, who was particularly suave for once in her life. "There she is, just like a herrowine, and a nice-looking one too." "Get out! call her good-looking?" said the housemaid. "Well, 'taint to be denied as she has what some folks would call good looks. Then you see she's pussycuted by one lover, and another loves her to distraction, and his father won't hear of it; and first one comes and then another, and then the father, and frightens the poor dear into fits, and goes away fainting--no, I mean goes away leaving her fainting away, and wanting salts and burnt feathers, and all sorts. Why, it's for all the world like a real story in a book, that it is; and I declare the way Mr Eddard has told us all about it has been beautiful." "There's soft soap," growled the hard-faced footman, smiling grimly. "That it ain't now, I'm sure," said cook. "It really was beautiful, and almost as good as seeing or reading it all. I'm sure I never lived in a house before where there was such goings on. I declare that bit where you told us about how you took the dandy by the scruff of his neck, and says to him, `Now, out you go, or I'll stuff you up the chimney!' was as exciting as could be. And so it was where you dragged him across the hall, and pitched him neck and crop down the front steps. I could a'most see it; and we both of us did hear the door slam." "Mr Eddard," who had been slightly adding to the history of Ella's visitors, smiled a little here, and his face relaxed somewhat from its stern expression. "Lor', what a nice clear fire!" said cook, who had detected the melting sign. "Let me hot you a sup of beer in a little stoopan, with a bit of nuckmeg and ginger, and a spoonful of sugar. Don't say no, Eddard." "Yes, I shall," said Edward, who was tightening up again. "I sha'n't have none unless you two join with me." "Well, if it comes to that," said cook, "sooner than you should go without, I'll have the least taste in the world."