to her
pleasure at the discomfiture of Mrs. Perkin.

"When would you like your breakfast, miss?" asked Jemima, as she
removed the tea-things.

"Any time convenient," replied Mary.

"It's much the same to me, miss, so it's not before there's bilin'
water. You'll have it in bed, miss?"

"No, thank you. I never do."

"You'd better, miss."

"I could not think of it."

"It makes no more trouble--less, miss, than if I had to get it when the
room-breakfast was on. I've got to get the things together anyhow; and
why shouldn't you have it as well as Mrs. Perkin, or that ill-tempered
cockatoo, Mrs. Folter? You're a lady, and that's more'n can be said for
either of them--justly, that is."

"You don't mean," said Mary, surprised out of her discretion, "that the
housekeeper and the lady's-maid have breakfast in bed?"

"It's every blessed mornin' as I've got to take it up to 'em, miss,
upon my word of honor, with a soft-biled egg, or a box o' sardines,
new-opened, or a slice o' breakfast bacon, streaky. An' I do _not_
think as it belongs proper to my place; only you see, miss, the
kitchen-maid has got to do it for the cook, an' if I don't, who is
there? It's not them would let the scullery-maid come near them in
their beds."

"Does Mrs. Perkin know that the cook and the lady's-maid have it as
well as herself?"

"Not she, miss; she'd soon make their coffee too 'ot! She's the only
lady down stairs--she is! No more don't Mrs. Folter know as the cook
has hers, only, if she did, it wouldn't make no differ, for she daren't
tell. And cook, to be sure, it ain't her breakfast, only a cup o' tea
an' a bit o' toast, to get her heart up first."

"Well," said Mary, "I certainly shall not add another to the breakfasts
in bed. But I must trouble you all the same to bring it me here. I will
make my bed, and do out the room myself, if you will come and finish it
off for me."

"Oh, no, indeed, miss, you mustn't do that! Think what they'd say of
you down stairs! They'd despise you downright!"

"I shall do it, Jemima. If they were servants of the right sort, I
should like to have their good opinion, and they would think all the
more of me for doing my share; as it is, I should count it a disgrace
to care a straw, what they thought. We must do our work, and not mind
what people say."

"Yes, miss, that's what my mother used to say to my father, when he
wouldn't be reasonable. But I must go, miss, or I shall catch it for
gossiping wit