room alone. I want no expert. The ordinary common or garden
housemaid is good enough for me," said Hereward, cruelly.

Dreda reflected sadly that a prophet was not a prophet in her own
country, but she was too much fired with the new idea to relinquish it
without a trial. Besides, hidden in her heart lay the reviving thought:
"If I could prove that I could be of use in the house, perhaps they'd
let me stay! I know quite enough lessons as it is!"

The first two nights after hearing of the changed arrangements for her
own education Dreda had cried herself to sleep, and had even succeeded--
with a little difficulty--in squeezing out a few tears as she dressed in
the morning, or what was the use of breaking your heart if no one were
the wiser, or pitied you for your pathetic looks? By the third morning,
however, her facile nature had adapted itself to the inevitable. She
was tired of being in the dumps, and reflected that with a little
diplomacy she would be able to "manage" the school governesses as
cleverly as she had done the Spider before them, while the Currant Buns
looked meek, poor-spirited creatures, who would like nothing better than
to be ruled. "_I'll_ teach them!" prophesied Dreda darkly, and the word
was used in no educational sense.

The future was thus swallowed at a gulp; but all the same Dreda thought
it worth while to interview her mother on the subject of her domestic
ambitions, and was much disappointed to have her generous offer kindly
but firmly refused.

"There is no necessity, dear. Thank you very much, all the same," Mrs
Saxon said, smilingly. "We are no longer able to keep up two houses,
but we can afford all the help that is needed for one. The two
housemaids can keep the bedrooms in order very easily in this fresh
clean air."

Etheldreda put her head on one side and lengthened her upper lip, after
a fashion she affected when she wished to be impressive.

"_Still_," she insisted, obstinately, "when a family is reduced in
circumstances I think it _most_ important that the girls should learn to
be domestic. I have always understood that in reduced circumstances it
was necessary for the mistress to overlook _everything_, and how can you
learn to do that if you never begin? It seems to me that one can never
begin too young, and if we _could_ do with only one housemaid, it is our
duty to do so."

Mrs Saxon laughed. She always did laugh when Dreda waxed impressive,
which was one of