Elders and Betters Read Free Page B

strike you at first,” murmured Cook.
    â€œSo complaint is inevitable, I suppose,” said Anna, taking a seat on the table and swinging her legs.
    Cook glanced from Anna to the tea-things, in silent recognition of their juxtaposition.
    â€œI am sitting on your tea-table, am I?” said Anna, getting off and speaking as if this were a new idea.
    Ethel quietly placed a chair.
    â€œYou have more room both upstairs and downstairs in this house.”
    â€œThe other was an easy kitchen, Miss Anna,” said Ethel, with a note of reproach.
    â€œHomelike,” uttered Cook.
    â€œYou often said it was crowded and stuffy.”
    Ethel and Cook sent their eyes round this one, as if they would not call attention to its attributes.
    â€œA place is always ten times as nice as it seems on the first day,” said Jenney, allowing for an only partial acceptance of her words. “And now they would like to see theirroom. People cannot feel at home until they are comfortable upstairs.” She made the last two words sound in natural conjunction.
    â€œWe shall not be able to unpack,” said Ethel, in a tone without feeling.
    â€œDid you not bring your luggage?” said Anna. “Is that all you brought in the cab? You might as well have walked.”
    â€œCook could not have walked, Miss Anna. A quarter of a mile is her limit.”
    â€œBut the man could have put your luggage on the cab. That would not have imposed much strain upon her.”
    â€œThe fly could not take our large trunks, Miss Anna. So we thought we might as well bring what we needed for the night.” said Ethel, her tone not disguising the ominous touch in her words.
    â€œWell, I would not waste a cab like that.”
    â€œOh, Cook has often hailed a fly to save her a hundred yards, Miss Anna,” said Ethel, sufficiently exhilarated by this difference for her face to clear.
    â€œWell, it is your own fault that you can’t get properly established.”
    Jenney’s eyes wavered at the light use of such words.
    Ethel laid hold of her portmanteau and Cook’s handbag, and Cook rose and stood emptyhanded, ready to give all her strength to the coming ordeal.
    â€œI have the valises,” said Ethel.
    â€œI will lead the way and show you the lie of the land,” said Anna, springing from her seat and running from the room, by way of an object lesson upon the situation.
    Cook and Ethel met each other’s eyes with a slight, simultaneous smile, and followed without hastening their steps.
    Jenney moved about with a dubious air, putting things in place, or rather disposing them so as to give the best impression. In a moment Ethel re-entered, still bearing her bags, and walked up to her.
    â€œI think Cook will be able to stand it, Miss Jennings,” she said without a change on her face.
    Jenney’s features showed no sign of emulating this control, and Ethel gave her a stiff smile and walked from the room. Anna came breathlessly into the kitchen, flung herself into a chair and stretched out her limbs.
    â€œWell, what a lot of effort and contrivance! They force us to do their business as well as our own.”
    â€œThey are good women at heart,” said Jenney. “I like Ethel very much.”
    â€œI never get that kind of feeling for them. I always feel a being apart, as if there were a kind of barrier between us.”
    â€œWe let them do a good many personal things for us, said Jenney.
    â€œI would not say that. Useful, material things, if you will, but I do not use the term, personal, quite so easily. We could never make a friend of one of them, or I never could. Well, I think my little manœuvre had its effect.”
    â€œThere are a good many stairs. We can’t alter that,” said Jenney, resting her eyes on Anna’s prostrate form, as if unable but to recognise that she had not done so.
    â€œOh, they are so much stronger than we are. They are brought up to be tough