'We are glad of the excuse,' said Frank gravely.

'You look ill enough to be an excuse for anything, and Mary too! How
about a maid? Is Harte going?'

'No,' said Mary; 'she says that foreign food made her so ill once before
that she cannot attempt going again. I meant to do without.'

'That would never do!' cried Bertha. 'You have quite enough on your
hands with Northmoor, and the luggage and the languages.'

'Is not an English maid apt to be another trouble?' said Mary. 'I do not
suppose my French is good, but I have had to talk it constantly; and I
know some German, if that will serve in the Tyrol.'

'I'll reconcile it to your consciences,' said Bertha triumphantly. 'It
will be a real charity. There's a bonny little Swiss girl whom some
reckless people brought home and then turned adrift. It will be a real
kindness to help her home, and you shall pick her up when you come up to
me on your way, and see my child! Oh, didn't I tell you? We had a
housemaid once who was demented enough to marry a scamp of a stoker on
one of the Thames steamers. He deserted her, and I found her living, or
rather dying, in an awful place at Rotherhithe, surrounded by tipsy
women, raging in opposite corners. I got her into a decent room, but too
late to save her life--and a good thing too; so I solaced her last
moments with a promise to look after her child, such a jolly little
mortal, in spite of her name--Boadicea Ethelind Davidina Jones. She is
two years old, and quite delicious--the darling of all the house!'

'I hope you will have no trouble with the father,' said Frank.

'I trust he has gone to his own locker, or, if not, he is only too glad
to be rid of her. I can tackle him,' said Bertha confidently. 'The
child is really a little duck!'

She spoke as if the little one filled an empty space in her heart; and,
even though there might be trouble in store, it was impossible not to be
glad of her present gladness, and her invitation was willingly accepted.
Moreover, her recommendations were generally trustworthy, and Mary only
hesitated because, she said--

'I thought, if I could do without a maid, we might take Constance. She
is doing so very well, and likely to pass so well in her examinations,
that it would be very nice to give her this pleasure.'

'Good little girl! So it would. I should like nothing better; but I am
afraid that if you took her without a maid, Emma would misunderstand it,
and say you wante