ike her to do the cooking," Plunkett remarked aside to Lionel
and pointing to Nancy.

"I think it would be best to hire them both."

"Well, that might be a good plan. Go up and bargain with them."

"I do not dare," Lionel answered, hanging back.

"Pooh! Then I must show you, now then--er--now then--er--ahem!"
Plunkett, too, found himself embarrassed. In fact, the women did not
seem at all like the other serving maids, though their clothing was
that of the others.

"Pooh, they'll never dare ask us!" Nancy told Martha.

"No, come on! Let's go!" and they turned away. At that Lionel became
excited.

"We shall lose them altogether! They are going!"

So then Plunkett got up courage and went to them.

"Damsels, listen! We would hire you. Have you ears? If your floors and
platters glisten, ye shall stay with us for years!"

"Yes--for--for years," Lionel managed to say.

"What, as your servants?" Lady Harriet gasped. Nancy laughed.

"You are laughing?" Lionel said. He was very anxious to hire them.
They were quite the handsomest serving maids he had ever seen.

"No trouble about that," Plunkett declared. "If she laughs, she will
certainly be good-natured about her work."

"What work?"

"What work?" Lady Harriet and Nancy said in one breath.

"Oh, you are for the farmyard," Plunkett replied, reassuringly to Lady
Harriet, "to keep the house and stable clean, you know. And you," to
Nancy, "are to do the cooking."

"You don't mean that this tender creature is to clean stables,
brother?" Lionel demanded impulsively.

"Well, she might work in the garden instead if she prefers it. Fifty
crowns shall be your wages; and, to be brief, everything found! Beer
and cheese for supper on week days; and on Sundays, good roast beef."

Lady Harriet tried to control her laughter.

"Who could resist so splendid an offer," she asked of Nancy. Nancy for
her part was nearly dying of laughter.

"Not we, not we, Martha."

"'Tis done, then; we will go."

"Then by the powers, here's the shilling to bind the bargain," Lionel
cried, fearful lest after all he and Plunkett should lose them; so he
handed over the shilling to Lady Harriet, who, not knowing that this
bound her to their service for a year, took it as a part of the fun.

Was there ever so droll a situation?
I began to feel not quite at ease,

the girls then said to each other, and they began to look about for
Tristram. He had got away, trying to rid himself