Had the pages of the church-register been visible as well as the clock, Miss Rebecca Jones’s age might have been seen to be fifteen; but, in knowledge of the world and in impudence, she was considerably older.

“Just gone seven and a quarter,” answered she, making a feint of shading her eyes with her hands, though the sun was behind her.

“And what business have you to come at seven and a quarter?  Half-past six is your time; and, if you can’t keep it, your missis shall get those that can.”

“Why can’t my missis let me stop at night and clear up the work?” returned the girl.  “She sends me away at six o’clock, as soon as I’ve washed the tea-things, and oftentimes earlier than that.  It stands to reason I can’t get through the work of a morning.”

“You could do so quite well if you came to time,” said the clerk, turning away to his walnut-tree.  “Why don’t you?”

“I overslept myself this morning.  Father never called me afore he went out.  No doubt he had a drop too much last night.”

She went flying up the gravel-path as she spoke.  Her father was the man Jones whom you saw at the railway station; her step-mother (for her own mother was dead) was Mrs. Gum’s cousin.

She was a sort of stray sheep, this girl, in the eyes of Calne, not belonging very much to any one; her father habitually neglected her, her step-mother had twice turned her out of doors.  Some three or four months ago, when Mrs. Gum was changing her servant, she had consented to try this girl.  Jabez Gum knew nothing of the arrangement until it was concluded, and disapproved of it.  Altogether, it did not work satisfactorily:  Miss Jones was careless, idle, and impudent; her step-mother was dissatisfied because she was not taken into the house; and Clerk Gum threatened every day, and his wife very often, to dismiss her.

It was only within a year or two that they had not kept an indoor servant; and the fact of their not doing so now puzzled the gossips of Calne.  The clerk’s emoluments were the same as ever; there was no Willy to encroach on them now; and the work of the house required a good servant.  However, it pleased Mrs. Gum to have one in only by day; and who was to interfere with her if the clerk did not?

Jabez Gum worked on for some little time after eight o’clock, the breakfast-hour.  He rather wondered he was not called to it, and registered a mental vow to discharge Miss Becky.  Presently he went indoors, put his head into a small sitting-room on the left, and found the room empty, but the breakfast laid.  The kitchen was behind it, and Jabez Gum stalked on down the passage, and went into it.  On the other side of the passage was the best sitting-room, and a very small room at the back of it, which Jabez used as an office, and where he kept sundry account-books.

“Where’s your missis?” asked he of the maid, who was on her knees toasting bread.

“Not down yet,” was the short response.