‘Martha,’ she said, ’I want to speak to you.  Sit down.  I think I am going to do something.’  Martha sat down, but did not speak a word.  There had been no question asked of her, and the time for speaking had not come.  ’I am writing to Mrs Stanbury, at Nuncombe Putney; and what do you think I am saying to her?’

Now the question had been asked, and it was Martha’s duty to reply.

‘Writing to Mrs Stanbury, ma’am?’

‘Yes, to Mrs Stanbury.’

’It ain’t possible for me to say, ma’am, unless it’s to put Mr Hugh from going on with the newspapers.’

’When. my nephew won’t be controlled by me, I shan’t go elsewhere to look for control over him; you may be sure of that, Martha.  And remember, Martha, I don’t want to have his name mentioned again in the house.  You will tell them all so, if you please.’

‘He was a very nice gentleman, ma’am.’

’Martha, I won’t have it; and there’s an end of it.  I won’t have it.  Perhaps I know what goes to the making of a nice gentleman as well as you do.’

‘Mr Hugh, ma’am.’

’I won’t have it, Martha.  And when I say so, let there be an end of it.’  As she said this, she got up from her chair, and shook her head, and took a turn about the room.  ’If I’m not mistress here, I’m nobody.’

‘Of course you’re mistress here, ma’am.’

’And if I don’t know what’s fit to be done, and what’s not fit, I’m too old to learn; and, what’s more, I won’t be taught.  I’m not going to have my house crammed with radical incendiary stuff, printed with ink that stinks, on paper made out of straw.  If I can’t live without penny literature, at any rate I’ll die without it.  Now listen to me.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘I have asked Mrs Stanbury to send one of the girls over here.’

‘To live, ma’am?’ Martha’s tone as she asked the question, showed how deeply she felt its importance.

‘Yes, Martha; to live.’

‘You’ll never like it, ma’am.’

‘I don’t suppose I shall.’

’You’ll never get on with it, ma’am; never.  The young lady’ll be out of the house in a week; or if she ain’t, somebody else will.’

‘You mean yourself.’

‘I’m only a servant, ma’am, and it don’t signify about me.’

‘You’re a fool.’

‘That’s true, ma’am, I don’t doubt.’

’I’ve sent for her, and we must do the best we can.  Perhaps she won’t come.’

‘She’ll come fast enough,’ said Martha.  ’But whether she’ll stay, that’s a different thing.  I don’t see how it’s possible she’s to stay.  I’m told they’re feckless, idle young ladies.  She’ll be so soft, ma’am, and you.’

‘Well; what of me?’

‘You’ll be so hard, ma’am!’

’I’m not a bit harder than you, Martha; nor yet so hard.  I’ll do my duty, or at least I’ll try.  Now you know all about it, and you may go away.  There’s the letter, and I mean to go out and post it myself.’