“I forgot to mention that you might come to the side door,” she said loftily, “but it doesn’t matter this time.” Joyce paused on the threshold and surveyed her silently. She had never met anything quite like this, nor dreamed that people who served others had to endure it. She was minded to flee at once, till she remembered that she had promised to get the dinner and that it was probably too late for the woman to get any one else now. She must be a lady, even if her employer was not. Before she could speak, however, Mrs. Powers entered upon her introduction to the work. “You don’t object to washing dishes I hope. The lunch and breakfast dishes will have to be cleared away before you can do much. Here’s the menu for tonight, I’ve written it out so there won’t be any mistake. I never like to have to give directions twice. Fruit cup. You’ll find the things in the store room, oranges, grape fruit, some white grapes skinned and seeded, I like plenty of grapes in it, and there’s a can of pineapple. Then we’ll have a clear soup. Do you know how to make soup? I’m sure I don’t know what you’ll make it out of. You can look around and see. Perhaps there’s some stock. Then for the meat course we’ll have chops and creamed potatoes and peas. There’s lettuce in the garden, and tomatoes in the refrigerator. You make mayonnaise, do you? Mrs. Bryant spoke of that I think. Well, that fixes the salad all right. Then ice cream and cake and coffee. I’ve ordered the ice cream, of course, but I’ll need two kinds of cake. I always like to have two kinds. That’s all, I believe. Now, I’m going up to lie down. I really must or I’ll look like a rag, but I shall expect you to have the diningroom and kitchen cleaned, the peas shelled, and the mayonnaise on the ice by the time I come down. Then I shall feel easy. You’ll need to scald and skin the tomatoes too, and get at your cake as soon as possible. It’ll need to get cold before icing. Now, do you think you understand it all?” Joyce looked at her with frank amusement as she rolled out the sentences, tolling off the tasks as if they were trifles and expecting, actually expecting all that work to be done. In spite of her a fresh young laugh rang out as if it were all a joke. The lady eyed her curiously, uneasily. What kind of a young working person was this anyway that laughed at her tasks and came to the front door for admission? “I want dinner promptly at seven,” she said haughtily. “Do you feel sure you will remember all I have told you?” “I’ll do my best to accomplish as much as possible, Mrs. Powers,” said Joyce, remembering the ten dollars and sobering down. “There isn’t any too much time, I guess.” Joyce undid her bundle and enveloped herself in her clean gingham apron as she spoke: “Now, if you’ll show me where to find your materials.”