Volume VII - Modernist Magazines Project

By Mrs. Murray Hickson 269whether important or trivial, appears, in a Jady, as a matter ofcourse. I looked at her again, and it struck me that, in the house^she should wear a cap and apron. But her dress remainedunchanged since the afternoon." You are not going out now?" I said, "so late ? And it isstill raining. Listen, you can hear it on the skylight."She listened obediently. The rain, blown by a gusty wind^pattered upon the big skylight in the roof. Martha glanced at mefrom behind her spectacles."Yes, m'm, but the mistress told me to post this letter. Afterthat I may go to bed."She held a fat, square envelope in her ungloved fingers, and Iknew, without looking at it, that it contained the usual daily letterfrom Amy Norris to her lover. I moved impatiently. Whycould not the girl have written earlier in the afternoon ?—thisgoing out to catch the late post was an old grievance with theservants, and now I supposed both of them would thrust the distastefulduty upon Martha." But do you know the way ? " I asked." Yes, thank you, m'm," she answered, and slipped down thestairs away from me.Before I went to bed that night I ventured on a sketchyremonstrance with Amy Norris upon this subject of the late post." The girl is young> and evidently country-bred," I concluded." Don't you think it's a pity to send her out so late into the streets ?Could we not all get our letters ready for the last post before•dinner ?"Amy looked at me in amazement. She was good-heartedenough, but perfectly stolid and unapproachable when such smallmatters as this were in question, and consideration for servants was,quite beyond her comprehension."The