‘What’s up?  Another row?’ she asked, entering the room as the servant went out.

‘I’ve known a good many fools,’ said Beatrice, ’but Ada’s the biggest I’ve come across yet.’

‘Is she?  Well, I shouldn’t wonder,’ Fanny admitted impartially.  And with a skip she took up her song again. ’A penny paper collar round his neck, la-de-da—­’

‘Are you going to church this morning?’ asked her sister.

‘Yes.  Are you?’

’Come for a walk instead.  There’s something I want to talk to you about.’

‘Won’t it do afterwards?  I’ve got an appointment.’

‘With Lord?’

Fanny laughed and nodded.

Interrupted by the reappearance of the servant, who brought a tray and began to lay the table, they crossed the hall to the drawing-room.  In half-an-hour’s time a sluttish meal was prepared for them, and whilst they were satisfying their hunger, the door opened to admit Mrs. Peachey.  Ada presented herself in a costume which, at any season but high summer, would have been inconveniently cool.  Beneath a loose thin dressing-gown her feet, in felt slippers, showed stockingless, her neck was bare almost to the bosom, and the tresses of pale yellow, upon which she especially prided herself, lay raggedly pinned together on the top of her flat head.  She was about twenty-eight years old, but at present looked more than thirty.  Her features resembled Fanny’s, but had a much less amiable expression, and betokened, if the thing were possible, an inferior intellect.  Fresh from the morning basin, her cheeks displayed that peculiar colourlessness which results from the habitual use of paints and powders; her pale pink lips, thin and sullen, were curiously wrinkled; she had eyes of slate colour, with lids so elevated that she always seemed to be staring in silly wonder.

‘So you’ve got breakfast, have you?’ were her first words, in a thin and rather nasal voice.  ‘You may think yourselves lucky.’

‘You have a cheek of your own,’ replied Beatrice.  ’Whose place is it to see that we get meals?’

‘And what can any one do with servants like I’ve got?’ retorted the married sister.

’It’s your own fault.  You should get better; and when you’ve got them, you should manage them.  But that’s just what you can’t do.’

’Oh, you’d be a wonderful housekeeper, we know all about that.  If you’re not satisfied, you’d better find board and lodging somewhere else, as I’ve told you often enough.  You’re not likely to get it as cheap.’

They squabbled for some minutes, Fanny looking on with ingenuous amusement, and putting in a word, now for this side, now for that.

‘And what am I going to have for breakfast?’ demanded Mrs. Peachey at length, surveying the table.  ’You’ve taken jolly good care of yourselves, it seems to me.’

She jumped up, and rang the bell.  When a minute’s interval brought no reply, she rang again.  Beatrice thought it probable that the bell might be rung without effect, ‘till all was blue.’