COMMUTER'S WIFE 149 



to say " love," but I cannot speak that word before 

 Aunt Lot), " home life, leisure, books, and all the 

 material things to boot." I was hastening to explain 

 also that Martha Corkle was an accident, a sort of 

 after-thought in our plans, but before I could speak, 

 Aunt Lot was again on the trail. 



"The most objectionable feature about the house 

 is that woman you've imported. She is a most offen- 

 sive person. Last night when I went into the kitchen 

 to chat with Delia and Eliza and ask them how they 

 were satisfied with the change of things, by the 

 way, I think Eliza is greatly wounded and depressed 

 at being set down from the cook's place after having 

 done the marketing when your father was alone, to 

 doing laundry and mere shift work and having no 

 say so, and then, too, Delia appears as if she'd been 

 crying, and wouldn't talk about her wedding, which I 

 don't think looks well, that woman, Martha Cock- 

 spur, stood all the time I was there and glowered at 

 me as if I had intruded and had no right to go to the 

 kitchen and speak to the help." 



" Martha Corkle comes from a class of society 

 where the servants stand when the mistress visits the 

 kitchen, which she never does to discuss the members 

 of her family," I said emphatically. " She was quite 

 right ; you forgot yourself, and you were intruding. 



