for her just to do what he wanted. Her eyes glittered above the
darkened lower lids; her gaze was self-conscious and yet bold; a faint
languor showed beneath her happy energy. But there was no sign that on
the previous evening she had been indisposed.

Mrs. Tams was respectfully maternal, but preoccupied. She fetched the
egg for Rachel, and Rachel, having deposited it in a cooking-spoon,
held it over the small black saucepan of incontestably boiling water
until the hand of the clock precisely covered a minute mark, whereupon
she deftly slipped the egg into the saucepan; the water ceased to boil
for a few seconds and then bubbled up again. And amid the heavenly
frizzling of bacon and the odour of her own special coffee Rachel
stood sternly watching the clock while Mrs. Tams rattled plates and
did the last deeds before serving the meal. Then Mrs. Tarns paused and
said--

"I don't hardly like to tell ye, ma'm--I didn't hardly like to tell ye
last night when ye were worried like--no, and I dunna like now like,
but its like as if what must be--I must give ye notice to leave. I
canna stop here no longer."

Rachel turned to her, protesting--

"Now, Mrs. Tams, what _are_ you talking about? I thought you were
perfectly happy here."

"So I am, mum. Nobody could wish for a better place. I'm sure I've no
fault to find. But it's like as if what must be."

"But what's the matter?"

"Well, ma'am, it's Emmy." (Emmy was Mrs. Tams's daughter and the
mother of her favourite grandchild.) "Emmy and all on' em seem to
think it'll be better all round if I don't take a regular situation,
so as I can be more free for 'em, and they'll all look after me i' my
old age. I s'll get my old house back, and be among 'em all. There's
so many on 'em."

Every sentence contained a lie. And the aged creature went on lying
to the same pattern until she had created quite a web of convincing
detail--more than enough to persuade her mistress that she was in
earnest, foolishly in earnest, that she didn't know on which side
her bread was buttered, and that the poorer classes in general had no
common sense.

"You're all alike," said the wise Rachel.

"I'm very sorry, ma'm."

"And what am I to do? It's very annoying for me, you know. I thought
you were a permanency."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I should like to give your daughters and daughters-in-law a piece of
my mind.... Good heavens! Give me that cooking-spoon, quick!"

She nipped the egg out of the s