for
a man, and let him break his fingers for a change. I need mine for
another purpose."

"Thursday afternoon, my dear. The shops are shut, and not a man to be
had."

"Never saw anything like it. It always is Thursday afternoon! Put a
table over the place then, and leave the tacks where they are. No one
will see them."

"Oh, Nan, as if a table could stay in the same place for a year.
Besides, the nails are bound to come out; if we don't take them away,
they'll work little holes for themselves, and then what would mother
say? There's no use shirking it. The carpet has to come up again, and
we shall have to do it."

"It's too disgusting! All this time wasted, and now to find ourselves
farther back than when we started. I could cry!" protested Elsie
dolefully; and Maud gave a little flop of impatience.

"Oh, so could I--howl, if that would do any good; but it won't, so we
might as well stop talking and set to work. Begin at once, Jane,
please; we'll push, and make it as easy as possible."

The workers crawled wearily back to their posts, while the audience, in
the shape of Lilias and Christabel, stood in the doorway and cheered
them with derisive comments.

"Amusing _contretemps_, isn't it? Reminds one of Maud's ecstasies the
other evening. Quite pleased, aren't you, Maudie, to have another
illustration of the humours of house-cleaning?"

"Never mind, darlings, keep cool! You'll think it very funny in six
months' time. If you work hard you'll finish by to-morrow morning!"

The glances cast upon the miscreants in reply to their witticisms were
so threatening, that they ran back to the library to stifle their
laughter; but five minutes had not elapsed before they were back again,
gasping in consternation.

"A caller! Some one at the door! Can't see properly, but it's a man!
A young man in a frock coat and a tall hat. What shall we do?"

"Send him away, of course. Jane, quick! put on a clean apron, and tell
the gentleman that Mrs Rendell is away from home. If he asks for us--
we are engaged. Sorry you can't ask him in, as the house is upset.
He'll see that for himself," added Maud, in a resigned tone, as Jane
hurried from the room. "The hall looks as if it were in the midst of a
removal, and if he had had any sense he would have known from the look
of the windows that we were not in a fit state to receive callers.
Anyhow, he will have to go away now."

The visitor, however, refused to go a