Unity's house single-handed so long that she could not endure the idea
of help, or "strangers in the kitchen," as she called it. Miss Unity
had never dared to suggest such a thing until now, and she felt very
doubtful as to its success, for she foresaw little peace in the house
for some time to come. Complaints, quarrels, changes, wounded feelings
on Betty's part, and so on; a constant worry in the air which would be
most distressing to anyone of an orderly and quiet mind. Poor Miss
Unity sighed heavily as she reached the College and climbed Nurse's
steep staircase.

Nurse was full of sympathy, but before she could bring her mind to the
question of charwomen she had to go over all her experience of sprains
and what was best for them--how some said this, and some said exactly
the opposite, and how she herself, after trying all the remedies, had
finally been cured by some stuff which folks called a quack medicine,
but she thought none the worse of it for that. Miss Unity sat patiently
and politely listening to all this, and at last gently repeated:

"And do you know of a respectable woman, Mrs Margetts, who would come
in and help Betty for a time?"

Nurse shook her head. "There's no one, I'm afraid, Miss, not one that
Betty would like to have. You see she's rather particular, and if a
person isn't _just so_, as one might say, it puts her out."

Miss Unity knew that only too well.

"I must have someone," she said; "you see Betty will be helpless for
some time; she can't do much with one hand."

Nurse nodded, and pursed up her lips in deep thought.

"You wouldn't like a little gal, Miss?" she asked suddenly.

"A little girl!" repeated Miss Unity in some dismay.

"I was thinking p'r'aps that it wouldn't put Betty about so much,"
continued Nurse. "You see she could make a girl do things her way where
she couldn't order about a grown woman, and really there's some girls of
fourteen or so'll do as much work, and do it most as well with someone
to look after 'em."

"But," said Miss Unity, "don't they break things dreadfully?"

Nurse laughed. "Why there's all sorts, Miss," she said. "Some are
naturally neat-handed and sharp. It's the dull stupid ones that has the
heavy hands in general."

"Well," said Miss Unity hesitatingly, "supposing Betty should like the
idea--do you know of one who could come?"

She had a sort of feeling that Nurse was thinking of Kettles, so that
her answer was hardly a surprise.