"I shouldn't like, if I were him, to have the charge of other people's furniture," Miss Maydew replied; and it seemed to the girls that she was rather disposed to find fault with all poor papa's arrangements, though she was so kind to them. Mr. St. John was "in the parish," and did not come back till it was time for the early dinner; and it was late in the afternoon when Miss Maydew, knocking at his study door, went in alone to "have a talk" with him, with the intention of "giving him her mind" on several subjects, written fully in her face. The study was a well-sized room looking out upon the garden, and furnished with heavy book-shelves and bureaux in old dark coloured mahogany. The carpet was worn, but those mournful pieces of furniture defied the action of time. She looked round upon them with a slightly supercilious critical glance. "The room is very well furnished," she said, "Mr. St. John; exceedingly well furnished; to rub it up and keep it in order must give your servant a great deal of work." "It is not my furniture, but Mr. Chester's, my rector," said the curate; "we never had very much of our own." "It must give the maid a deal of work all the same, and that's why the girls have so much housemaiding to do, I suppose," said Miss Maydew sharply. "To tell the truth, that was what I came to speak of. I am not at all satisfied, Mr. St. John, about the girls." "The girls? They are quite well, I think, quite well," said Mr. St. John meekly. He was not accustomed to be spoken to in this abrupt tone. "I was not thinking of their health; of course they are well; how could they help being well with so much fresh air, and a cow, I suppose, and all that? I don't like the way they are managed. They are nice girls, but that Miss Brown knows just about as much how to manage them as you--as that table does, Mr. St. John. It is ridiculous. She has no control over them. Now, I'll tell you what is my opinion. They ought to be sent to school." "To school!" he said, startled. "I thought girls were not sent to school." "Ah, that is when they have a nice mother to look after them--a woman like poor Hester; but what are those two doing? You don't look after them yourself, Mr. St. John?" "I suppose it can't be said that I do," he said, with hesitation: "perhaps it is wrong, but what do I know of girls' education? and then they all said I should have Miss Brown." "Who are 'they all?' You should have asked me. I should never have said Miss Brown. Not that I've anything against her. She is a good, silly creature enough--but pay attention to me, please, Mr. St. John. I say the girls should go to school." "It is very likely you may be right," said Mr. St. John, who always yielded to impetuosity, "but what should I do with Miss Brown?" "Send her away--nothing could be more easy--tell her that you shall not want her services any longer. You must give her a month's notice, unless she was engaged in some particular way."