"No one was to blame for that," she said. "It need never be thought of again." But it was evident the recollection of it had put her back into her armor. Mr. Andrews felt a momentary indignation at her injustice; but his straits were too sore for him to cherish indignation. "If it were not for the children," he said, "I would close the house at once, and go away. Gabrielle would be better off perhaps at boarding-school; but Jay is such a baby. Still, I suppose that might not be a difficulty." "He does seem rather young to send among strangers," she replied coldly, snipping down a fading branch of the climbing rose, and throwing it aside. "But on some accounts, as I was saying to you the other day, I would much prefer keeping them together, and having them with me for the present." "It would be pleasanter, perhaps," said Miss Rothermel, with distant but faint interest. "What I want to ask you," he went on desperately, "is whether you think a household could be kept together, with any comfort or profit to the children, without any greater knowledge and experience on my part. I mean," he said confusedly, "could they get on without a governess, or a housekeeper, or some one to be at the head of affairs? Could three or four women get on, that is, without some one in authority over them?" "Why, what is to prevent you from being in authority over them?" said Missy, almost contemptuously. "That is, if you are willing to take the trouble of thinking about things." "I am very willing to think about things, but I am sorry to say I am so ignorant that my thoughts are not likely to be profitable." "Knowledge is power," said Missy, clipping another dry leaf off. "That is very true, Miss Rothermel," he said, with a smile. "I am sure you feel yours. But be good enough to help me. Tell me, to begin with, what I am to say to the waitress, who is to come to see me in half an hour. She asks me questions that I don't know how to answer." "Well, what are some of them, pray?" "Why, as we are not to keep a laundress, what part of the washing she must do?" "The fine clothes, of course." "I don't believe we have any fine clothes in the house. I think everything is very plain." "Oh, that is a technical expression. It means the starched clothes. Say that to her and she'll understand. The cook is to do the coarse washing." "Ah, yes; I see. Well, she wants to know about dinner--am I to have a regular dinner, and are the children to have a regular dinner in the middle of the day? Now, what does a regular dinner mean when a waitress talks about it? and what ought the children to have for their dinner?" "Why, it means," said Missy, "are the children to have scraps and a jumbled-up lunch, all on the table together--or, are they to have soup, and a nice steak, and some vegetables, and a pudding, and fare like Christians. I _hope_ you settled that question for her."