s to
the disadvantage of leaving Jollyman's for another grocer's. In the end
she did not leave him, but either went to the shop herself or sent the
servant. Great was her curiosity regarding the disguised Mr. Warburton,
with whom, after a significant coldness, she gradually resumed her old
chatty relations. At length, one day in autumn, Bertha announced to her
that she could throw more light on the Jollyman mystery; she had learnt
the full explanation of Mr. Warburton's singular proceedings.

"From those people, I suppose?" said Mrs. Cross, who by this phrase
signified Mr. and Mrs. Franks. "Then I don't wish to hear one word of
it."

But as though she had not heard this remark, Bertha began her
narrative. She seemed to repeat what had been told her with a quiet
pleasure.

"Well, then," was her mother's comment, "after all, there's nothing
disgraceful."

"I never thought there was."

"Then why have you refused to enter his shop?"

"It was awkward," replied Bertha.

"No more awkward for you than for me," said Mrs. Cross. "But I've
noticed, Bertha, that you are getting rather selfish in some things--I
don't of course say in _everything_--and I think it isn't difficult to
guess where that comes from."

Soon after Christmas they were left, by a familiar accident, without a
servant; the girl who had been with them for the last six months
somehow contrived to get her box secretly out of the house and
disappeared (having just been paid her wages) without warning. Long and
loudly did Mrs. Cross rail against this infamous behaviour.

The next morning, a young woman came to the house and inquired for Mrs.
Cross; Bertha, who had opened the door, led her into the dining room,
and retired. Half an hour later, Mrs. Cross came into the parlour,
beaming.

"There now! If that wasn't a good idea! Who do you think sent that
girl, Bertha?--Mr. Jollyman."

Bertha kept silence.

"I had to go into the shop yesterday, and I happened to speak to Mr.
Jollyman of the trouble I had in finding a good servant. It occurred to
me that he _might_ just possibly know of some one. He promised to make
inquiries, and here at once comes the nicest girl I've seen for a long
time. She had to leave her last place because it was too hard; just
fancy, a shop where she had to cook for sixteen people, and see to five
bedrooms; no wonder she broke down, poor thing. She's been resting for
a month or two: and she lives in the same house as a person nam