d she was terribly deficient; and that I had no doubt Major and Mrs.
Jenkyns would understand the quiet mode in which a lady lived by herself
in a country town. But she was sadly fluttered. I made her empty her
decanters, and bring up two fresh bottles of wine. I wished I could have
prevented her from being present at my instructions to Martha; for she
continually cut in with some fresh direction, muddling the poor girl's
mind, as she stood open-mouthed, listening to us both.

"Hand the vegetables round," said I (foolishly, I see now--for it was
aiming at more than we could accomplish with quietness and simplicity);
and then, seeing her look bewildered, I added, "Take the vegetables round
to people, and let them help themselves."

"And mind you go first to the ladies," put in Miss Matilda. "Always go to
the ladies before gentlemen, when you are waiting."

"I'll do it as you tell me, ma'am," said Martha; "but I like lads best."

We felt very uncomfortable and shocked at this speech of Martha's; yet I
don't think she meant any harm; and, on the whole, she attended very well
to our directions, except that she "nudged" the Major, when he did not
help himself as soon as she expected, to the potatoes, while she was
handing them round.

The Major and his wife were quiet, unpretending people enough when they
did come; languid, as all East Indians are, I suppose. We were rather
dismayed at their bringing two servants with them, a Hindoo body-servant
for the Major, and a steady elderly maid for his wife; but they slept at
the inn, and took off a good deal of the responsibility by attending
carefully to their master's and mistress's comfort. Martha, to be sure,
had never ended her staring at the East Indian's white turban, and brown
complexion, and I saw that Miss Matilda shrunk away from him a little as
he waited at dinner. Indeed, she asked me, when they were gone, if he did
not remind me of Blue Beard? On the whole, the visit was most
satisfactory, and is a subject of conversation even now with Miss Matilda;
at the time it greatly excited Cranford, and even stirred up the apathetic
and Honorable Mrs. Jamieson to some expression of interest when I went to
call and thank her for the kind answers she had vouchsafed to Miss
Matilda's inquiries as to the arrangement of a gentleman's
dressing-room--answers which I must confess she had given in the wearied
manner of the Scandinavian prophetess--

"Leave me, leave me to repo