''Well, the fact is, miss, Lady Alice was kind as an angel; but she was also rather near. She kept my frocks back, to take to India for her girl there.''
Maud blinked her dark eyes and looked sorry. She said,
''Is that how ladies treat their maids, in London?''
''Only the near ones, miss,'' I answered.
Then she said, ''Well, I have nothing to be near for, here. You must and shall have another gown, to spend your mornings in. And perhaps another besides that, for you to change into when— Well, say we ever had a visitor?''
She hid her face behind the door of her press. She said,
''Now, I believe we are of a similar size. Here are two or three dresses, look, that I never wear and shan''t miss. You like your skirts long, I see. My uncle does not care to see me in a long skirt, he believes long skirts unhealthy. But he shan''t mind, of course, about
you. You need only let down this hem a little here. You can do that, of course?''
Well, I was certainly used to taking stitches out; and I could sew a straight seam when I needed to. I said, ''Thank you, miss.'' She held a dress before me. It was a queer thing of orange velvet, with fringes and a wide skirt. It looked like it had been blown together by a strong wind in a ladies'' tailor''s. She studied me, and then said,＠思＠兔＠網＠
''Oh, try it, Susan, do! Look, I shall help you.'' She came close, and began to undress me. ''See, I can do it, quite as well as you. Now I am your maid, and you are the mistress!''