"Well, now, what do you think has happened? Shut the door. I paid Charlotte the wages, and the very first thing she did was to pack and go!" "And you mean to say you let her? Why, you must be crazy!" "Don't speak to me in that way!" cried her mother, hotly. "How could I prevent her, when she was determined? I did my utmost, but nothing could induce her to stay. Was ever anything so distracting? The very day after letting our rooms! How are we to manage?" "I shall have nothing to do with it. The girl wouldn't have gone if I'd been here. You must manage how you can." "It's no use talking like that, Barbara. You're bound to wait upon Mrs. Travis until we get another girl." "I?" exclaimed her daughter. "Wait on her yourself! I certainly shall do nothing of the kind." "You're a bad, cruel, undutiful girl!" cried Mrs. Denyer, her face on fire. "Nether of your sisters ever treated me as you do. You're the only one of the family that has never given the least help, and you're the only one that day by day insults me and behaves with heartless selfishness! I'm to wait on the lodger myself, am I? Very well! I will do so, and see if anything in the world will shame you. She shall know _why_ I wait on her, be sure of that!" Barbara swept out of the room, and ascended the stairs to the second floor. Here again she heard her name called, in a soft voice and interrogatively in reply, she entered a small bedroom, saying impatiently: "What is it, Mad?" It was seen at the first glance that this had long been a sick-chamber. The arrangement of the furniture, the medicine-bottles, the appliances for the use of one who cannot rise from bed, all told their story. The air had a peculiar scent; an unnatural stillness seemed to pervade it. Against the raised white pillow showed a face hardly less white. "Isn't it provoking, Barbara?" said the invalid, without moving in the least. "Whatever shall you do?" "As best we can, I suppose. I've to turn cook and housemaid and parlour-maid, now. Scullery-maid too. I suppose I shall clean the steps to-morrow morning." "Oh, but you must go to the registry-office the very first thing. Don't upset yourself about it. If you can just manage to get that lady's dinner." "It's all very well for you to talk! How would _you_ like to _wait_ on people, like a girl in a restaurant?" "Ah, if only I could!" replied Madeline, with a little laugh that was heart-breaking. "If only I could!"