aint as the spirit of Christian when
he descried far off the walls of the Celestial City, with the Dark
River rolling between him and it. Letty knew the Dark River must be
there, but if beyond it there lay the slightest chance of the
Celestial City....

She came back to herself, as it were, on hearing Steptoe say that the
procession from the kitchen would presently begin to form itself.

"Now if madam'll be guided by me she'll meet this situytion fyce to
fyce."

"Oh, but I'd never know what to say."

"Madam won't need to say nothink. She won't 'ave to speak. 'Ere
they'll troop in--" a gesture described Mrs. Courage leading the
advance through the doorway--"and 'ere they'll stand. Madam'll sit
just where she's sittin'--a little further back from the
tyble--lookin' over the mornin' pyper like--" he placed the paper in
her hand--"and as heach gives notice, madam'll just bow 'er 'ead.
See?"

Madam saw, but not exactly.

"Now if she'll just move 'er chair----"

The chair was moved in such a way as to make it seem that the
occupant, having finished her breakfast, was giving herself a little
more space.

"And if madam would remove 'er 'at and jacket, she'd--she'd seem more
like the lydy of the 'ouse at 'ome."

Letty took off these articles of apparel, which Steptoe whisked out of
sight.

"Now I'll be Mrs. Courage comin' to sye, 'Madam, I wish to give
notice.' Madam'll lower the pyper just enough to show 'er inclinin' of
'er 'ead, assentin' to Mrs. Courage leavin' 'er. Mrs. Courage will be
all for 'avin' words--she's a great 'and for words, Mrs. Courage
is--but if madam won't sye nothin' at all, the wind'll be out o' Mrs.
Courage's syles like. Now, will madam be so good----?"

Having passed out into the hall, he entered with Mrs. Courage's
majestic gait, pausing some three feet from the table to say:

"Madam, things bein' as they are, and me not wishin' to stye no longer
in the 'ouse where I've served so many years, I beg to give notice
that I'm a givin' of notice and mean to quit right off."

Letty lowered the paper from before her eyes, jerking her head
briskly.

"Ye-es," Steptoe commended doubtfully, "a lettle too--well, too
habrupt, as you might sye. Most lydies--real 'igh lydies, like the
lyte Mrs. Allerton--inclines their 'ead slow and gryceful like. First,
they throws it back a bit, so as to get a purchase on it, and then
they brings it forward calm like, lowerin' it stytely--Perhaps if
madam'ud be m