example held up to
her, Letty lengthened her neck and stiffened it. A haughty spirit
seemed to rise in her by the mere process of the elongation. She was
so nervous that the paper shook in her hand, but she knew that if the
Celestial City was to be won, she could shrink from no tests which
might lead her on to victory.

Steptoe had relapsed into the major-domo's office, announcing from the
doorway, "Mrs. Courage to see madam, if madam will be pleased to
receive 'er."

Madam indicated that she was so pleased, scrambling after the standard
of the maiden sovereign of Windsor Castle giving audience to princes
and ambassadors.

Chapter VIII

"I'm 'ere."

Letty couldn't know, of course, that this announcement, made in a
menacing female bass, was due to the fact that three swaying
bodies had been endeavoring so to get round the deployed paper
wings as to see what was hidden there, and had found their efforts
vain. All she could recognize was the summons to the bar of social
judgment. To the bar of social judgment she would have gone
obediently, had it not been for that rebelliousness against being
"looked down upon" which had lately mastered her. As it was, she
lengthened her neck by another half inch, receiving from the
exercise a new degree of self-strengthening.

"Mrs. Courage is 'ere, madam," Steptoe seconded, "and begs to sye as
she's givin' notice to quit madam's service----"

The explosion came as if Mrs. Courage was strangling.

"When I wants words took out of my mouth by 'Enery Steptoe or anybody
else I'll sye so. If them as I've come into this room to speak to
don't feel theirselves aible to fyce me----"

"Madam'll excuse an old servant who's outlived 'er time," Steptoe
intervened, "and not tyke no notice. They always abuses the kindness
that's been showed 'em, and tykes liberties which----"

But not for nothing had Mrs. Courage been born to the grand manner.

"When 'Enery Steptoe talks of old servants out-livin' their time and
tykin' liberties 'e speaks of what 'e knows all about from personal
experience. 'E was an old man when I was a little thing not _so_
high."

The appeal was to the curiosity of the girl behind the screen. To
judge of how high Mrs. Courage had not been at a time when Steptoe was
already an old man she might be enticed from her fortifications. But
the pause only offered Steptoe a new opportunity.

"And so, if madam can dispense with 'er services, which I understand
mad