She spoke in a quick, sharp way, a good deal like her mother’s; and her face, though tolerably comely, was sharp too.  Miss Williams meant to “get on” in the world if she could, and her face and manner showed it.

Nelly found various things to do before she got back to her unfinished dinner, and then Mrs. Williams hurried her through, that she might get the kitchen made “tidy.”  In the meantime Miss Williams departed, in all the glories of a fashionable toilet, for her afternoon promenade, her mother regarding her with much pride and complacency.  It seemed the one object of her hard-working, careworn life that her daughter should look “like a lady,” and a large proportion of her earnings and savings went to effect this object.

Nelly’s services were at once called into requisition to assist in the preparation of the dinner for the boarders—­four gentlemen—­who, her mistress informed her, were “very particular,” and liked everything nice.  She received a confusing multiplicity of directions as to waiting at table, for Mrs. Williams rather prided herself on the “stylishness” of her establishment.  She got through her task tolerably well, though somewhat bewildered between Mrs. Williams’ quick, sharp reminders and the “chaffing” of one or two of the gentlemen, who thought it “good fun” to puzzle the “new hand” with ironical remarks, some of them being aimed at their landlady through her servant.

After the waiting at dinner, followed the preparation of tea for Mrs. Williams and her daughter, who had come in, and was in the midst of one of the evening performances on the piano, which were the dread of the boarders; and then there were all the dishes used at dinner to wash and put away.  It was pretty late by the time all this had been done, and Nelly was feeling very sleepy, and wondering how soon she might go to bed, when her mistress came down with half-a-dozen pairs of boots, to be cleaned either that evening or next morning.  Now the next day was Sunday, and at the farm Mrs. Ford had of late insisted on the excellent rule of getting all done that could be done on Saturday night, so as to leave the Lord’s day as free as possible from secular duties; so Nelly, sleepy as she was, took up her blacking brushes, and proceeded to rub and polish with all her might.  But fatigue was too strong for her, and before she had got through the third pair, her head sank down and she lost all consciousness, till she suddenly started up, thinking Mrs. Ford was calling her to drive the cows to pasture.  It was impossible to rouse herself again to her work; she just managed to put out her light, and, hastily undressing, she threw herself on the bed with only a half-conscious attempt at her usual evening prayer, which, however, He who knows the weakness of our frame would surely accept.