ane, she was soon fast asleep.

She was roused by a cry, half of terror, half of surprise. There stood
the second housemaid, who, having been told nothing of her room-fellow,
stared and gasped.

"I am sorry to have startled you," said Mary, who had half risen,
leaning on her elbow. "They ought to have told you there was a stranger
in your room."

The girl was not long from the country, and, in the midst of the worst
vulgarity in the world, namely, among the servants of the selfish, her
manners had not yet ceased to be simple. For a moment, however, she
seemed capable only of panting, and pressing her hand on her heart.

"I am very sorry," said Mary, again; "but you see I won't hurt you! I
don't look dangerous, do I?"

"No, miss," answered the girl, with an hysterical laugh. "I been to the
play, and there was a man in it was a thief, you know, miss!" And with
that she burst out crying.

It was some time before Mary got her quieted, but, when she did, the
girl was quite reasonable. She deplored that the bed was not made up,
and would willingly have yielded hers; she was sorry she had not a
clean night-gown to offer her--"not that it would be fit for the likes
of _you_, miss!"--and showed herself full of friendly ministration.
Mary being now without her traveling-cloak, Jemima judged from her
dress she must be some grand visitor's maid, vastly her superior in the
social scale: if she had taken her for an inferior, she would
doubtless, like most, have had some airs handy.

CHAPTER XXVI.

HER POSITION.

Mary seemed to have but just got to sleep again, when she was startled
awake by the violent ringing of a bell, almost at her ear.

"Oh, you needn't trouble yet a long while, miss!" said the girl, who
was already dressing. "I've got ever so many fires to light, ere
there'll be a thought of you!"

Mary lay down again, and once more fell fast asleep.

She was waked the third time by the girl telling her that breakfast was
ready; whereupon she rose, and made herself as tidy as she could, while
Jemima _cleaned herself up a bit,_ and was not a little improved in the
process.

"I thought," she said, "as Mrs. Perkin would 'a' as't you to your first
meal with her; but she told me, when I as't what were to be done with
you, as how you must go to the room, and eat your breakfast with the
rest of us."

"As Mrs. Perkin pleases," said Mary.

She had before this come to understand the word of her Master, that not