to his lips.

"God bless the Queen, Mazey," said the admiral.

"God bless the Queen, your honor," said old Mazey, swallowing his port,
as the dogs swallowed the made-dishes, at a gulp.

"How's the wind, Mazey?"

"West and by Noathe, your honor."

"Any report to-night, Mazey!"

"No report, your honor."

"Good-evening, Mazey."

"Good-evening, your honor."

The after-dinner ceremony thus completed, old Mazey made his bow, and
walked out of the room again. Brutus and Cassius stretched themselves on
the rug to digest mushrooms and made gravies in the lubricating heat of
the fire. "For what we have received, the Lord make us truly thankful,"
said the admiral. "Go downstairs, my good girl, and get your supper. A
light meal, Lucy, if you take my advice--a light meal, or you will
have the nightmare. Early to bed, my dear, and early to rise, makes
a parlor-maid healthy and wealthy and wise. That's the wisdom of
your ancestors--you mustn't laugh at it. Good-night." In those words
Magdalen was dismissed; and so her first day's experience of Admiral
Bartram came to an end.

After breakfast the next morning, the admiral's directions to the
new parlor-maid included among them one particular order which, in
Magdalen's situation, it was especially her interest to receive. In the
old gentleman's absence from home that day, on local business which
took him to Ossory, she was directed to make herself acquainted with the
whole inhabited quarter of the house, and to learn the positions of the
various rooms, so as to know where the bells called her when the bells
rang. Mrs. Drake was charged with the duty of superintending the voyage
of domestic discovery, unless she happened to be otherwise engaged--in
which case any one of the inferior servants would be equally competent
to act as Magdalen's guide.

At noon the admiral left for Ossory, and Magdalen presented herself in
Mrs. Drake's room, to be shown over the house. Mrs. Drake happened to
be otherwise engaged, and referred her to the head house-maid. The
head house-maid happened on that particular morning to be in the same
condition as Mrs. Drake, and referred her to the under-house-maids. The
under-house-maids declared they were all behindhand and had not a minute
to spare--they suggested, not too civilly, that old Mazey had nothing on
earth to do, and that he knew the house as well, or better, than he
knew his A B C. Magdalen took the hint, with a secret indignation
and co