y, 'let us have tea,
and don't let us talk about sots. There are none here, and Joe don't
want to hear about them, I dare say.'

At this crisis, Miggs appeared with toast.

'I dare say he does not,' said Mrs Varden; 'and I dare say you do not,
Varden. It's a very unpleasant subject, I have no doubt, though I
won't say it's personal'--Miggs coughed--'whatever I may be forced to
think'--Miggs sneezed expressively. 'You never will know, Varden, and
nobody at young Mr Willet's age--you'll excuse me, sir--can be expected
to know, what a woman suffers when she is waiting at home under such
circumstances. If you don't believe me, as I know you don't, here's
Miggs, who is only too often a witness of it--ask her.'

'Oh! she were very bad the other night, sir, indeed she were, said
Miggs. 'If you hadn't the sweetness of an angel in you, mim, I don't
think you could abear it, I raly don't.'

'Miggs,' said Mrs Varden, 'you're profane.'

'Begging your pardon, mim,' returned Miggs, with shrill rapidity, 'such
was not my intentions, and such I hope is not my character, though I am
but a servant.'

'Answering me, Miggs, and providing yourself,' retorted her mistress,
looking round with dignity, 'is one and the same thing. How
dare you speak of angels in connection with your sinful
fellow-beings--mere'--said Mrs Varden, glancing at herself in a
neighbouring mirror, and arranging the ribbon of her cap in a more
becoming fashion--'mere worms and grovellers as we are!'

'I did not intend, mim, if you please, to give offence,' said Miggs,
confident in the strength of her compliment, and developing strongly in
the throat as usual, 'and I did not expect it would be took as such. I
hope I know my own unworthiness, and that I hate and despise myself and
all my fellow-creatures as every practicable Christian should.'

'You'll have the goodness, if you please,' said Mrs Varden, loftily, 'to
step upstairs and see if Dolly has finished dressing, and to tell her
that the chair that was ordered for her will be here in a minute, and
that if she keeps it waiting, I shall send it away that instant.--I'm
sorry to see that you don't take your tea, Varden, and that you don't
take yours, Mr Joseph; though of course it would be foolish of me to
expect that anything that can be had at home, and in the company of
females, would please YOU.'

This pronoun was understood in the plural sense, and included both
gentlemen, upon both of whom it was rather