Page:The time spirit; a romantic tale (IA timespiritromant00snaiiala).pdf/172

 *lotte was sourly amused, Sarah, amazed; but both ladies were deeply angry.

However, they had fully made up their minds that the housekeeper must go. Indeed, that had been already arranged at the after-dinner conference at Hill Street the previous evening. They were convinced that a woman whom they intensely disliked, whose peculiar position they greatly resented, was at last driven into a corner. The Duke's indecently bold defense of her had taken them by surprise, but it only made them the more determined to push their present advantage ruthlessly home.

III

Suddenly Sarah rose and pressed the bell. She demanded of the servant who answered it that Mrs. Sanderson should appear.

Harriet, already apprised of Lady Wargrave's arrival, came at once. She was quite prepared for a painful scene. Only too well had she reason to know the state of feeling in regard to herself. She had always been so able and discreet that she had enforced the outward respect of those whom she served so loyally. But she well knew that she was not liked by the ladies of the house, and that the special position she had come to hold owing to the decline of the Duke's health, was a casus belli between him and the members of his family. She had long been aware that in the opinion of the Dinneford ladies it was no part of a housekeeper's functions to act as a trained nurse to their invalid father.

Harriet had a natural awe of Lady Wargrave, which