housemaid's closet, to
behold her idol issue forth in the full glory of an evening dress--a
thing Charlotte had read of, but never seen anything nearer to it than
Miss Walby coming to tea, and her own Miss Clara in the scantiest of
all white muslins.

But Mrs. Martha was in an unexampled state of vixenish crossness, and
snapped venomously at mild Mrs. Beckett for the kindest offers of
sparing Charlotte to assist her in her multiplied labours. She seemed
to be running after time all day long, with five dinners and teas upon
her hands, poor woman, and allowing herself not the slightest
relaxation, except to rush in for a few seconds to No. 7, to indulge
herself by inveighing against the whole of the fine servants; and yet
she was so proud of having lodgers at all, that she hated them for
nothing so much as for threatening to go away.

The object of her bitterest invectives was the fastidious butler, Mr.
Delaford, who by her account could do nothing for himself, grudged her
mistresses their very sitting-room, drank wine with the ladies' maids
like a gentleman, and ordered fish for the second table; talked of
having quitted a duke, and submitting to live with Lady Conway because
he compassionated unprotected females, and my Lady was dependent on him
for the care of Sir Walter in the holidays. To crown his offences, he
never cleaned his own plate, but drew sketches and played the guitar!
Moreover, Mrs. Martha had her notions that he was making that sickly
Frenchified maid of Miss Conway's much too fond of him; and as to his
calling himself Mr. Delaford--why, Mrs. Martha had a shrewd suspicion
that he was some kin to her first cousin's brother-in-law's shopman's
wife in Tottenham-court-road, whose name she knew was Ford, and who had
been picked out of a gutter! The establishment of such a fact appeared
as if it would be the triumph of Mrs. Martha's life. In the meantime,
she more than hinted that she would wear herself to the bone rather
than let Charlotte Arnold into the house; and Jane, generally
assenting, though seldom going all lengths, used to divert the
conversation by comparisons with Mr. Frampton's politeness and
consideration. He never came to No. 5 to give trouble, only to help.

The invectives produced on Charlotte's mind an effect the reverse of
what was intended. Mr. Delaford, a finer gentleman than Mr. Frampton
and Mr. Poynings, must be a wonder of nature. The guitar--redolent of
serenades and Spanis