Perhaps you will come here a
few minutes before ten, and then I can tell you what the foreman has
said first."
Accordingly at a quarter to ten the next day Mrs. Conway was again at
the office.
"I think, Mrs. Conway, that things are going even better than we
hoped. The foreman said that from what little talk he had with the
servants, he thought they had all been attached to Mr. Penfold, and
that his sisters were by no means popular among them. He said very
often one or other of them would come into the room where they were
working and make suggestions, and hunt about themselves to see if they
could find anything. But the best part of it is that one of the
carpenters, a steady fellow of twenty-five, took up, as he calls it,
with the upper housemaid, and he believes there is a talk about their
being married some day. If this is so it would be the very thing for
you. You could help him to get married, and the girl could help you to
get her place."
"The very thing," Mrs. Conway said. "Nothing could have turned out
better."
In a few minutes the young carpenter arrived. He was a
pleasant-looking young fellow, and Mrs. Conway was not surprised at
the impression he had made upon the housemaid at the Hall.
"Sit down, Johnson," Mr. Tallboys began. "You know what I asked you to
come here for?"
"Mr.
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