’But surely,’ said the Spider, ’surely the bath doesn’t need cleaning. I’m sure Mrs Tremayne keeps everything most beautifully. It really is absurd. It’s the same in the mornings, and at night, and sometimes before dinner. The man’s always in here, and I feel the time has come to put my foot down. We all pay the same, and baths are included in the price.’ So Ross, with that courtesy which he can’t help showing to a woman, even if he’s furious with her, said ’I’m extremely sorry, but if you will tell my man after breakfast what time it is convenient to you for me to have my bath, I will fit in with you and will speak to my sister also. See to it, Brown, will you?’ and he turned away to close the conversation. But the Spider’s conversation was not so easily closed, and she was just about to begin again. However, she had bargained without Brown. Brown had his orders, he had been told to ’see to it,’ and meant to. Somehow he hustled the little woman out and, with ’My master is waiting to have his bath, madam,’ he closed the door on the little spitfire, and Ross exploded comfortably. After luncheon they gave notice. ’Jolly good job, too,’ says Ross. But I feel sorry we’ve annoyed them, though I shall go in and possess my Naboth’s vineyard with great pride and pleasure. Ross is only pretty well; he gets a good deal of pain and is sleeping badly, but he generally manages to be cheerful, when he can’t he goes upstairs and stays there till the bout is over. This evening he came into my room to say ’Good-night,’ and his mind seemed full of dressing-gowns. ’Meg,’ he demanded, ’is your dressing-gown red?’ ’Yes,’ I said, ’the one I’m using at the moment happens to be red.’ ’But is it flannel?’ ’No, but it’s something quite as thick. Estelle thought it would be warmer for me. It’s over there, if you’d like to see it.’ He picked up the soft crimson thing that Estelle had made for me when I first landed. ’Why, Meg, it looks like an evening dress.’ ’Yes, but it buttons down the front, that’s where the difference is.’ ’Do you always button it, then, when you put it on?’ ’Oh, always,’ I replied, ’don’t people usually?’ ’I dunno,’ he said, ’only this morning she had got hers sort of draped across her tummy, kept together with the belt knotted. When you walk about the passages in hotels, Meg, don’t you wear a cap or something?’ ’My dear child,’ I observed, ’where do you think I was dragged up?’ *CHAPTER VII* Fairy hands have been at work. Instead of a shining white world all is green again. There has been a very rapid thaw. The frost has gone and little brooks of melted snow are running down the lanes and paths. Tiny green spikes have appeared in all the garden as if by magic. There is even a half-drowned primrose out, telling that spring is coming very soon this year.