“Ho!” quoth she, “trifle? Indeed I do not trifle but do my bit as well as may be so that all should end well. And if you had asked me why I retire I would have told you but now wild horses should not make me speak because of your bad heart.” With a careless laugh she plunged in through the doors and was immediately fallen upon by the Majpottels who had on their pink and blue shirts, with pale grey suits and straw hats in hand, beaming with long sad smiles into her face, and so between them they walked the length of the hall and back, chatting (this was to exercise Selia in the art of social ease) and then sat awhile in green-painted basket chairs near the parms. Now it was a very hot day and both of the brothers were reddish and rather damp, but noblesse obliged them not to mop their heads and necks as this is low. “What will you drink” uttered Gerald politely to Selia. “What is smart?” asked she very low. “Oh you had better have a coktale” replyed he “as that is all ladys drink just at present,” and so he ordered one, but Selia made a mistake and let the cherry at the bottom of the little tubby glass into her mouth and so had to put the stone out. Rupert frowned on her a little for this, and she saw that the elegant brothers had left their cherry alone uneaten. She made note of this for the future. “You’ll be wanting to change wont you” now wispered Gerald, who was looking rather lively. Selia took the hint and went up to her apartment, not knowing in deuce what she should wear out of the many attires concealed within the drawers there. To her surprise, as she entered the room, a small squabby woman in black with black velvet and some white frills in her hair rose from a seat by the window. “I am Madames new maid” this person said with a nice bow of respect, “my name is Scrogg. What would Madame like to wear.” This vision so took away our herione’s breath that she hardly new what to say for a moment, then laughing to herself as she guest what it was, and thought of all that it meant to be a rich man’s pet, she turned coldly aside and wispered something to the new maid who went at once to the proper draw and drew forth what was needful. Selia was a modest girl and had not been used to undressing before folks, but knew that it had to be done and summoning her strength she gave herself up to be divested of her attire, and arrayed anew in purest white suitable for her secret errand. “A more simpel mode for the hair?” suggested Scrogg who was very nifty. Selia nodded as she guest this was better. Fresh as paint and smelling a little of something Scrogg had sprinkled at her on leaving, Selia descended once more to the waiting Majpottels who sat each with chin on stick, leaving Scrogg to tidy away which is what a maid largely is for and saves a heap of time.