“Let you have one?” she exclaimed. “Faith, an’ didn’t I give you permission just now?” This was past all bearing; but I restrained myself, and merely said, with becoming dignity, “I didn’t have you up stairs, Norah, to know whether _you_ would permit _me_ to drink a glass of water in my own house, or not.” To which she replied, as familiarly as if she were speaking to the servant next door, “Well, by my sowl, when I heard you ask me if I’d let you have that same, I thought you mighty stupid at the time. An’ what is it you _do_ want, then, mavourneen?” “Why,” I returned, in measured terms, remembering my station, “I want what I told you before, as plainly as a person could speak--a glass of water.” “Well, then,” she cried, “by the powers! if I were you, I’d get it! Isn’t there plenty down stairs, honey?” “But,” I continued, calmly, “perhaps you will be kind enough, Norah, to bring me a glass up _here_.” “Och!” she exclaimed, “so, an’ it’s only a glass you’re wantin’ me to fetch you, afther all! A glass wid nothin’ in it, is it you mane?” “No,” I replied, almost losing my temper, “A glass of _water_, woman, and _not_ a glass without anything in it! Do you understand me _now_?” “Out an’ out,” she cried, with a nasty, low wink. “You’d be havin’ a glass of wather wid somethin’ in it! Oh, go along wid you--wanting a drop on the sly, now! You’re takin’ to the bottle, though, betimes this mornin’, I’m thinkin’.” I’m sure my fair readers can easily imagine that this threw me into such a passion that it quite made my blood boil. I told the fury to hold her tongue, and never dare to open her mouth about such things again. But the impudent hussey only made me worse, for she kept declaring, “mum was the word with Norah,” and saying, “that I needn’t go flurryin’ mysilf about her findin’ out my sly thricks,” and telling me to be “asy, for that the masther should never hear of it from hersilf.” So that at last, I declare, I was positively obliged to run up stairs into my own bed-room, in order to get rid of the creature. There I threw myself on the sofa, in the most dreadful state of mind, I think, I ever was in all my life; and, torn with all kinds of horrid ideas, I said to myself, “Norah washes very well, it is true--but alas! what washing can compensate me for this!”