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 keen," said Mally. "Aye, you can wait on him—it'll tak' a deal off my shoulders." Accordingly, Elisabeth rose early next morning and proceeded to prepare the parlour for her master's breakfast. It was a somewhat old-fashioned and gloomy apartment, sadly in need of a touch of brightness here and there. Elisabeth reduced it to something like homeliness, and laid the breakfast-table with care and taste. She hunted out a fine linen-cloth, and going out into the garden cut a bunch of chrysanthemums and arranged them in a china bowl in the centre of the table. This done, she borrowed a clean white apron from Mally, and looked very neat and smart when she carried Hepworth's breakfast into the parlour. Hepworth smiled approval.

"That looks very nice, Elisabeth," said he. "I see you know one part of your duties, at any rate."