"Oh, I understand. The young damsel who was expected a week ago. How did it happen, Mistress Margaret Merton, that you did not arrive at the time appointed?" I explained to her that I had waited for Mr. Carey, who had changed his plans at the last moment. She seemed to consider my excuse as of little consequence, for she hardly heard me through before she turned to Lady Betty. "Well, child, and how do you find yourself this morning?" Then, without waiting for an answer, she turned again to me: "It appears to me, Mistress Merton, that it would be more seemly for you to 'stand' in attendance upon your young mistress, than to be sitting thus familiarly by her side." I felt my face grow scarlet at the reproof. The truth is that I had never thought of Lady Betty as my mistress at all, but only as a poor suffering child who was to be made comfortable. And I had treated her just as I would have treated one of our own twins, or one of the village children in a fit of the earache. I knew not what to say, but Lady Betty answered for me: "I choose to have her sit by me, Aunt Jemima, and that is enough. She is good to me, and I love her, and she shall do as 'I' choose, wont you, Margaret?" I did not know what to say or do, for I had never heard a child speak to a grown person in that way. I thought the best way was to say nothing. Lady Jemima reproved the child sharply for her impertinence, and even went so far as to shake her. The child screamed loudly, at which I could not wonder, for the shaking must have hurt her very much, so thin and weak as she was. I thought, for my part, Lady Jemima deserved the shaking quite as much as Lady Betty; and I confess I should like to have given it her myself. At that moment my Lady Stanton appeared at the open door. "What is all this?" she asked. Lady Betty at once began to tell her story, and Lady Jemima hers. My Lady said nothing till it came to the shaking. Then her great dark eyes flashed, and she turned upon her sister-in-law, and bade her never to touch the child again at her peril. Lady Jemima at first began to justify herself, but stopped suddenly, burst into tears, and ran out of the room. My Lady tried to quiet the child, who was still crying, and at last succeeded by telling her that her father would hear her, and be very angry. Then she bade me go and get my breakfast, and she would stay with Lady Betty. She followed me to the door and closed it after her. "This is not a good beginning!" said she. "What did you do to displease my sister and make all this trouble?" "I told her, adding that I was very sorry, but I had no thought of doing anything wrong, but only of pleasing Lady Betty, who would have me sit down with her, and tell her a story while she ate her bread and milk."