rhaps.

But when Hodges brought the tray with the porringers on it and the
silver mug, for me to see, and said, "I suppose this young lady'll take
these up, Miss Umbleby?" and when Margaret looked surprised and said,
"I didn't know there were children in the family--am I supposed to wait
on them, too?"--then, as I say, it all came over me, and for the first
time in five years I really saw where I stood, like.

I stared at Hodges and then at the girl, and the tray nearly went down
amongst us.

"Do you mean to say you haven't told her, Sarah?" says Hodges (and that
was the first time that ever he called me by my given name).

"She's told me nothing," Margaret answers rather short, "and if it's
invalid children or feeble-minded, I take it most unkind, Miss Umbleby,
for I've never cared for that sort of thing, and could have had my
twenty-five dollars a month this long time, if I'd wanted to go out as
nurse."

"Take the tray up this time, yourself, Mr. Hodges, please," I said,
"and I'll have a little talk with Margaret," and I sat down and
smoothed my black silk skirt (I always wore black silk of an afternoon)
nervously enough, I'll be bound.

The five years rolled away like yesterday--as they do now--as they do
now----

I saw myself, in my mind's eye, new to the place, and inclined to feel
strange, as I always did when I made a change, though I was twenty-five
and no chicken, but rather more settled than most, having had my
troubles early and got over them. I'd just left my place--chambermaid
and seamstress--in a big city house, and though it was September, I was
looking out for the country, for I was mortal tired of the noise and
late hours and excitement that I saw ahead of me. It was parties and
balls every night and me sitting up to undress the young ladies, for
they kept no maid, like so many rich Americans, and yet some one must
do for them. There was no housekeeper either, and the mistress was not
very strong and we had to use our own responsibility more than I
liked--for I wasn't paid for that, do you see, and that's what they
forget in this country.

"I think I've got you suited at last, Sarah," the head of the office
had said to me, "a nice, quiet place in the country, good pay and light
work, but everything as it should be, you understand. Four in help
besides the housekeeper and only one in family. Church within a mile
and every other Sunday for yourself."

That was just what I wanted, and I pa