protest to you, I thought no more of it than of Mr.
Buckminster taking off the covers and handing them to me. Just as a
necessary preliminary, as they say, to the dinner, and nothing on earth
more."

"Well, do go on, Thomas. It's very _interesting_," said Mistress Mary,
and the rest gathered closer, all attention.

"Well, I was a-going to go scuttling about just as usual, thinking only
of not making any noise lest I should see the general--heeding no more
of the grace than of what cook was doing at her fire--when that young
gentleman, as is come newly among us, bent forward and began to speak
it. The effect upon me was wonderful--it was electric--Mr. Buckminster,
you know what I mean; I stood as one arrested--I couldn't have moved or
_not_ cared if it had been never so--I really couldn't. It seemed to me
as if he truly _was_ thanking God for the good things that were set
before them. Their plenty, and their comfort, and their abundance; it
seemed to me as if things were opened to my mind--what I had never
thought of before--who it was--who _did_ give them, and us after them,
all sorts of delicacies, and food, and drink, when others might be
wanting a morsel of bread; and I seemed to be standing before Him--I
felt need to thank Him with the rest.... All this flashed through me
like lightning; but he had done in a moment, and they all sat down."

"How beautiful Thomas does talk when he has a mind," whispered the
under-housemaid to the under-laundry-maid. "What a fine tall young man
he is, and what a gift of the gab."

"Well," said the rest, "go on--is there any more?"

"Yes, there is more. Someway, I could not get it out of my head--I kept
thinking of it all dinner. It was as much as I could do to mind what I
was about; and once I made such a clatter in putting a knife and fork
upon a plate, that if it hadn't been for the greatest good luck in the
world, I should have got it. But the general was talking quite
complacent like with the two young gentlemen, and by huge good fortune
never heeded."

"Well!"

"Well, when I got into the pantry and began washing up, I had more time
for quiet reflection. And this is what I thought. What a lot of
lubberly, inanimated, ungrateful, stupid slaves we all must be. Here
serving an earthly master, to the best of our abilities, for a few
beggarly pounds, and for his meat and drink and fine clothing; and very
well contented, moreover, when there's roast beef of a Sunday, or
plum-pu