hat it was time to get up. The tub
she left behind. It was to provide--on the principle of "first come,
first served"--for the ablutions of all the five young ladies, though
each had her personal towel. Virtue was thus its own reward, the
laziest girl being obliged to content herself with the dirtiest water.
It must, however, be remembered that she was a fastidious damsel who
washed more than face and hands.

They then dressed themselves, carefully tying their respective amulets
round their necks, without which proceeding they would have anticipated
all manner of ill luck to befall them during the day. These articles
were small boxes of the nature of a locket, containing either a little
dust of one saint, a shred of the conventual habit of another, or a few
verses from a gospel, written very minutely, and folded up extremely
small. Then each girl, as she was ready, knelt in the window, and
gabbled over in Latin, which she did not understand, a Paternoster, ten
Aves, and the Angelical Salutation, not unfrequently breaking eagerly
into the conversation almost before the last Amen had left her lips.
Prayers over, they passed into the sitting-room next door, where they
generally found a basket of manchet bread and biscuits, with a large jug
of ale or wine. A gentleman usher called for Mistress Underdone and her
charges, and conducted them to mass in the chapel. Here they usually
found the Earl and Countess before them, who alone, except the priests,
were accommodated with seats. Each girl courtesied first to the altar,
then to the Countess, and lastly to the Earl, before she took her
allotted place. The Earl always returned the salutation by a quiet
inclination of his head. The Countess sat in stony dignity, and never
took any notice of it. Needlework followed until dinner, after which
the Countess gave audience for an hour to any person desiring to see
her, and usually concluded it by a half-hour's nap. Further needlework,
for such as were not summoned to active attendance on their mistress if
she went out, lasted until vespers, after which supper was served.
After supper was the recreation time, when in most houses the
bower-maidens enjoyed themselves with the gentlemen of the household in
games or dancing in the hall; but the Lady Margaret strictly forbade any
such frivolous doings in her maidens. They were still confined to their
own sitting-room, except on some extraordinary occasion, and the only
amusemen