n," said Mrs. Fenelby regally. "I do not want
you, you can go!"

"Yes, ma'am," said Bridget. "'Tis all th' same t' me--stay or go,
ma'am,--but I'll be askin' ye t' pay me a month's wages, Mrs.
Fenelby, if ye want me t' go. A month's wages or a month's
notice--that is th' law, ma'am."

"The idea!" exclaimed Mrs. Fenelby. "I have not even hired you,
yet!"

"No, ma'am," said Bridget, "but th' young lady has. She hired me
with her own mouth, at me own sister Maggie's, who will be witness
t' it, an' I have been workin' in th' kitchen already. I've washed
th' spoons."

"The young lady," said Mrs. Fenelby coldly, "has no right to hire
servants for me."

"And hasn't she, ma'am?" said Bridget angrily. "Let th' judge in th'
court-house say if she has or hasn't! Don't try t' fool me, Missus
Fenelby, ma'am. I've worked here before, ma'am, an' I know all about
th' Commonwealth way ye have of doin' things. Wan of ye has as good
a right t' vote me into a job as another has, Mrs. Fenelby, an' th'
young lady an' th' young gintleman both asked me t' come. Even a
poor ign'rant Irish girl has rights, Mrs. Fenelby, an' hired I was,
t' worrk for th' Commonwealth. An' here I stay, without ye choose
t' hand me me month's wages!"

Mrs. Fenelby looked appealingly at Tom, and Tom looked at Billy.

"I think she'd win, if she took it to law," said Billy. "You know
how the judges are. And if she brought up the matter of the
Commonwealth, you know you _did_ make Kitty and me full partakers in
it."

"Tom," said Mrs. Fenelby, "pay her a month's wages and let her go!"

Mr. Fenelby moved uneasily. He had put all his money into Bobberts'
bank. In all the house there was not a month's wages except in
Bobberts' bank. Mr. Fenelby looked toward the bank.

"Never!" said Billy. "_I_ put money into that, and so did Kitty. It
is for Bobberts, not for month's wages. I object."

Mr. Fenelby looked away from the bank. He looked, helplessly, all
around the room, and ended by looking at Laura.

"My dear," he said, "I think we had better keep Bridget."

"I think ye had!" said Bridget. "For there ain't no way t' git rid
of me. I'm here, ma'am, an' I don't bear no ill will. I forgive ye
all, an' I'm willin' t' let by-gones be by-gones, excipt one or two
things, which ye will have t' change."

"The idea!" exclaimed Mrs. Fenelby. Bridget shrugged her shoulders.

"Have it yer own way, ma'am," she said. "I am not one that would
dictate t' th' lady of th'