A sound of quick, light feet upon the stair and a voice that laughed gaily, a laugh so full of happiness that even Mrs. Trapes’s iron features relaxed, and her grim mouth curved in her rare smile.  At that moment the door opened and Hermione appeared, a radiant Hermione who clasped Mrs. Trapes in her arms and tangled her up in her long motor veil and laughed again.

“Oh, Ann, such a day!” she exclaimed, laying aside her long dust-coat.  “New York is a paradise—­when you’re rich!  No more bargain days and clawing matches over the remnant counter, Ann!  Oh, it’s wonderful to be able to buy anything I want—­anything!  Think of it, Ann, isn’t it just a dream of joy?  And I’ve shopped and shopped, and he was so dear and patient!  I bought Arthur a complete outfit—­”

“Arthur!” said Mrs. Trapes, and groaned.

“And you, Ann, you dear thing, I bought you—­guess what?  But you never could!  I bought you a gold watch, the very best I could find, and he bought you a chain for it, a long one to go around your dear neck, set with diamonds and rubies, I mean the chain is—­it’s the cutest thing, Ann!  You remember you used to dream of a gold chain set with real diamonds, some day?  Well, ‘some day’s’ to-day, Ann.”

“But—­oh, Hermy, I—­I—­”

“He wants to give it you himself, because he says you’re the best friend he ever had and—­oh, here he is!  You did say so, didn’t you, Geoffrey?”

“And I surely mean it!” answered Ravenslee, tossing his driving gauntlets into a chair, “though you certainly threw cold water upon my peanut barrow, didn’t you, Mrs. Trapes?”

“Oh, Geoffrey, dear, do give her that precious package; I’m dying to see her open it!”

So Ravenslee drew the jeweller’s neat parcel from his pocket and put it into Mrs. Trapes’s toil-worn hand.  For a moment her bony fingers clutched it, then she sighed tremulously and, placing it on the table, rose and stood staring down at it.  When at last she spoke, her voice was harsher than usual.

“Hermy, dear—­I mean Mrs. Ravenslee, ma’am, I—­can’t—­take ’em!”

“But, dear—­why not?”

“Because they’re coals o’ fire.”

“But you must take them, dear; we bought them for you and—­”

“Which jools, ma’am, I can in no wise accept.”

“Why, Ann, dear, whatever—­”

“Which jools, ma’am, having been a dream, must for me so remain, me not bein’ faithful in my dooties to you an’ Mr. Geoffrey.  Consequently I begs to tender you now my resignation, yieldin’ up my post in your service to one better worthy, and returnin’ t’ th’ place wherefrom I come.”

Here Mrs. Trapes put on her bonnet, setting it a little askew in her agitation.

“Th’ labourer is worthy of his hire, but if he ain’t—­so be it!”

Here Mrs. Trapes tied her bonnet strings so tightly and with such resolute hands that she choked.

“Why, Ann dear,” cried Hermione, “whatever do you mean?  As if I could bear to part with you!” Here she untied the bonnet strings.  “As if I could ever let you go back to Mulligan’s!” Here she took off the bonnet.  “As if I could ever forget all your tender love and care for me in the days when things were so hard and so very dark!” Here she tossed the bonnet into a corner.