Chapter 4 - Page 2

was no denying that the
trades-people had been played tricks with. Mrs. Gareth-Lawless
was only one of a lot of pretty daughters whose father was a poor
country doctor in Jersey. He had had "a stroke" himself and his
widow would have nothing to live on when he died. That was what
Mrs. Lawless had to look to. As to Lord Lawdor Edward had learned
from those who DID know that he had never approved of his nephew
and that he'd said he was a fool for marrying and had absolutely
refused to have anything to do with him. He had six boys and
a girl now and big estates weren't what they had been, everyone
knew. There was only one thing left for Cook and Edward and Emma
and Louisa to do and that was to "get out" without any talk or
argument.

"She's not one that won't find someone to look after her," ended
Edward. "Somebody or other will take her up because they'll be sorry
for her. But us lot aren't widows and orphans. No one's going to
be sorry for us or care a hang what we've been let in for. The longer
we stay, the longer we won't be paid." He was not a particularly
depraved or cynical young footman but he laughed a little at the
end of his speech. "There's the Marquis," he added. "He's been
running in and out long enough to make a good bit of talk. Now's
his time to turn up."

After she had taken her cup of tea without cream Feather had fallen
asleep in reaction from her excited agitation. It was in accord
with the inevitable trend of her being that even before her eyes
closed she had ceased to believe that the servants were really
going to leave the house. It seemed too ridiculous a thing to
happen. She was possessed of no logic which could lead her to a
realization of the indubitable fact that there was no reason why
servants who could neither be paid nor provided with food should
remain in a place. The mild stimulation of the tea also gave rise
to the happy thought that she would not give them any references
if they "behaved badly". It did not present itself to her that
references from a house of cards which had ignominiously fallen
to pieces and which henceforth would represent only shady failure,
would be of no use. So she fell asleep.

* * * * *

When she awakened the lights were lighted in the streets and one
directly across the way threw its reflection into her bedroom. It
lit up the little table near which she had sat and the first thing
she saw was the pile of small account books. The next was that the
light which revealed them also fell brightly on the glass knob of
the door which led into Robert's room.

She turned her eyes away quickly with a nervous shudder. She had
a horror of the nearness