ater, Mrs Rose, the housekeeper, a matronly, good-looking
woman, with very red cheeks, was busy in the study explaining to Matty
Merryon her duties. She had already shown her all over the house, and
was now at the concluding lesson.

"Look here now, Merryon," began the housekeeper.

"Oh, please don't call me Merryon--I ain't used to it. Call me Matty,
_do_ now!"

"Very well, Matty," continued Mrs Rose, with a smile, "I've no
objection; you Irish are a strange race! Now, look here. This is
master's study, and mind, he's very partikler, dreadful partikler."

She paused and looked at her pupil, as if desirous of impressing this
point deeply on her memory.

"He don't like his papers or books touched; not even dusted! So you'll
be careful not to dust 'em, nor to touch 'em even so much as with your
little finger, for he likes to find 'em in the mornin' just as he left
'em at night."

"Yes, Mrs Rose," said Matty, who was evidently giving up her whole soul
to the instruction that was being imparted.

"Now," continued the housekeeper, "the arranging of this room will be
your last piece of work at night. You'll just come in, rake out the
grate, carry off the ashes, lay the noo fire, put the matches handy on
the chimney-piece, look round to see that all's right, and then turn off
the gas. The master is a early riser, and lights the fire his-self of a
mornin'."

"Yes, 'm," said Matty, with a courtesy.

"Now, go and do it," said Mrs Rose, "that I may see you understand it.
Begin with the grate an' the ashes."

Matty, who was in truth an experienced maid-of-all-work, began with
alacrity to discharge the duties of her new station. She carried off
the ashes, and returned with the materials for next day's fire in a
shovel. Here she gave a slight indication of her so-called carelessness
(awkwardness would have been more appropriate) by letting two or three
pieces of stick and a bit of coal fall on the carpet, in her passage
across the room.

"Be careful, Matty," said Mrs Rose gently. "It's all owin' to haste.
Take your time, an' you won't do such things."

Matty apologised, picked up the materials, and laid the fire. Then she
took her apron and approached the writing-table, evidently with the
intention of taking the dust off the corners, but not by any means
intending to touch the books or papers.

"Stop!" cried Mrs Rose sternly.

Matty stopped with a guilty look.

"Not a touch," said Mrs Rose.

"Not even