Sinnett, about her work upstairs, came in obedience to the summons. She was a little, pale-faced, dark woman, of about thirty-five, given to wear smart caps. My lady attacked her quietly enough, but with a manner authoritative. "I beg you to understand at once that I am mistress here, Sinnett, and must be obeyed. When I give my orders, whether for dinner or for anything else, they are not to be improved upon." "My lady, in regard to adding to the dinner yesterday, I did it for the best; not to act in opposition to you," replied Sinnett, respectfully. "A good dinner has to be sent in always: those are the general orders. The young gentlemen are so much in the habit of bringing in chance guests, that the contingency has to be provided for. I have known a party of eight or ten brought in before now, and we servants quite unaware of it until about to lay the cloth." "Yes," said my lady, hastily, "that might be all very well when there was no controlling mistress here. Mr. Thornycroft's sons appear to have been allowed great license in the house; of course it will be different now. Remember one thing, if you please, Sinnett, that you do not interfere with my orders for dinner today." "Very well, my lady." Catching up her dress--a beautiful muslin that shone like gold--my lady turned to the larder, telling the cook to follow her. She had expected to see on its shelves the dishes that left the table yesterday; but she saw very little. "What has become of the ducks, cook? They were scarcely touched at table." "We had 'em for our suppers, my lady." My lady had a wrathful word on the tip of her tongue; she did not speak it. "Ducks for supper in the kitchen! Are you in the habit of taking your supper indiscriminately from the dinner dishes that come down?" "Yes, my lady. Such is master's orders." "It appears to me that a vast quantity of provisions must be consumed," remarked my lady. "Pretty well," was the cook's answer. "It's a tolerable large family; and Mr. Thornycroft has a good deal given away." "Provisions?" "He do; he's a downright good man, my lady. Not a morning passes, but some poor family or other from the village comes up and carries home what's not wanted here." "I wonder you don't have them up at night as well," said my lady, in sarcasm. The cook took it literally. "That's one of the few things not allowed at the Red Court Farm. Mr. Thornycroft won't have people coming here at night: and for the matter of that," added the woman, "they'd not care to come by the plateau after dark.--About today's dinner, my lady?" Yes; about today's dinner. As if in aggravation of the powers that had been, my lady ordered soles, a piece of roast beef, the tart that had not been cut yesterday, and the remainder of the lemon cream. As she went sailing away, the cook returned into the kitchen to Sinnett. The woman was really perplexed. "I say, Sinnett, here's a start! A piece of ribs of beef, and nothing else. What's to be done?"