“Do you think Ann and Hannah will really go?” I asked.

“Of course they will.  I have received formal notice to supply their places by the end of this week, which I must do, somehow or other.”

The next day was Thursday, and, notwithstanding both cook and chamber maid had given notice that they were going on Saturday, my wife had the whole house knocked into pi, as the printers say, determined to get all she could out of them.

When I made my appearance at dinner-time, I found all in precious confusion, and my wife heated and worried excessively.  Nothing was going on right.  She had undertaken to get the dinner, in order that Ann and Hannah might proceed uninterruptedly in the work of house-cleaning; but as Ann and Hannah had given notice to quit in order to escape this very house-cleaning, they were in no humor to put things ahead.  In consequence, they had “poked about and done nothing,” to use Mrs. Sunderland’s own language; at which she was no little incensed.

When evening came, I found things worse.  My wife had set her whole force to work upon our chamber, early in the day, in order to have it finished as quickly as possible, that it might be in a sleeping condition by night—­dry and well aired.  But, instead of this, Ann and Hannah had “dilly-dallied” the whole day over cleaning the paint, and now the floor was not even washed up.  My poor wife was a sad way about it; and I am sure that I felt uncomfortable enough.  Afraid to sleep in a damp chamber, we put two sofas together in the parlor, and passed the night there.

The morning rose cloudily enough.  I understood matters clearly.  If Mrs. Sunderland had hired a couple of women for two or three days to do the cleaning, and got a man to shake the carpets, nothing would have been heard about the sulkiness of John, or the notice to quit of cook and chamber maid.  Putting upon them the task of house-cleaning was considered an imposition, and they were not disposed to stand it.

“I shall not be home to dinner to-day,” I said, as I rose from the breakfast table.  “As you are all in so much confusion, and you have to do the cooking, I prefer getting something to eat down town.”

“Very well,” said Mrs. Sunderland—­“so much the better.”

I left the house a few minutes afterwards, glad to get away.  Every thing was confusion, and every face under a cloud.

“How are you getting along?” I asked, on coming home at night.

“Humph!  Not getting along at all!” replied Mrs. Sunderland, in a fretful tone.  “In two days, the girls might have thoroughly cleaned the house from top to bottom, and what do you think they have done?  Nothing at all!”

“Nothing at all!  They must have done something.”

“Well, next to nothing, then.  They havn’t finished the front and back chambers.  And what is worse, Ann has gone away sick, and Hannah is in bed with a real or pretended sick-headache.”