Page:Live and Let Live.djvu/94

 sitting at the needle, that she would be thankful for the cook's place if she could suit you."

"Oh, she could not, possibly. What does she know about cooking?" "She has cooked in a gentleman's family. To be sure it was a small one; but she says, if you would be patient with her for the first month, she could learn—she is very handy at learning, you know, Mrs. Ardley—Mary Minturn is—she says she likes cooking, and it agrees with her—and she is dying by inches now."

"She is out of the question, Sophy—I must have a thoroughbred cook, that can do everything without direction—you know Mr. Ardley and I are both particular about the table. There's one good thing, Ferris never get's fuddled till after her work is done; and if you, Sophy, would just look in her room after she goes to bed."

"I can't undertake that, Mrs. Ardley; I have quite enough to do without sitting up to look after Ferris," replied Sophy, who, in the main, was a very good-tempered girl, though now ruffled by the ill success of her proposition in behalf of her friend. "I think you are very disobliging, Sophy," rejoined Mrs. Ardley, intent on rectifying wrong on the right hand and on the left. "I have been quite too indulgent. You are all getting spoiled, and I really must require you to comply with my wishes."

"It's not my work to look after the cook."

"You all know what is not your work, though you seldom know what is." Sophy flung out of the room without replying, and in the course of the day announced to Mrs. Ardley, that as Mary Minturn had determined to go when her month was up,