o send
all that way for the Adams children, she had a parlour suite all to
herself at the hotel, and was timid about making acquaintances
outside, since everybody now-a-days wanted you to subscribe to
something, and it was so disagreeable having to say "no." She was
not a great walker so she could not enjoy the Talbot woods; the sea
made her feel sad, remembering that Michael was the other side and
the submarines increasingly active: in short, air-raids or no
air-raids, she returned home in March, and her maid, who had been
with her ten years, gave her warning.

But then she had an inspiration! She engaged Mrs. Albert Adams to
take her place, and although the parlour-maid at this took offence
and cut the painter of domestic service, went off to the munitions
till Sergeant Frederick Summers should get leave to come home and
marry her; and they were obliged to engage another parlour-maid in
her place at double the wages: Mrs. Rossiter had done a very wise
thing. "Bert" had been home for three weeks in the preceding
February, and the recently bereaved Mrs. Adams had united her tears
with Mrs. Rossiter's on the misery of the War which separated
attached husbands and wives. It now alleviated the sorrows of both
that they should be together as mistress and maid. The cook--a most
important factor--had always liked Bertie and adored his "sweet,
pretty little children." "If you'll let 'em sleep in the spare room
on the fourth floor, next their mother, and play in the day-time in
the servants' 'all, they'll be no manner of difficulty _nor_ bother
to me and the maids. We shall love to 'ave 'em, the darlin's. And
they'll serve to cheer you up a bit ma'am till the Professor comes
back."

Mrs. Adams was a very capable person who hated dust and grime. The
big house wanted some such intervention, as since the butler's
departure it had become rather slovenly, save in the portions
occupied by Mrs. Rossiter. Charwomen were got in, and spring
cleanings on a gigantic scale took place, so that when Rossiter did
return he thought it had never looked so nice, or his Linda been so
cheery and companionable.

But before this happy confirmation of her wisdom in engaging Nance
Adams as maid and factotum, Mrs. Rossiter had several waves of doubt
and distress to breast. There was the Suffrage question. Once
converted by Mrs. Humphry Ward, Miss Violet Markham, Sir Almroth
Wright--whose _prenom_ she could not pronounce--the late Lord
Cromer, and