The ladies were all there.  Johanna arranging the table for their early tea:  Selina lying on the sofa trying to cut bread and butter:  Hilary on her knees before the fire, making the bit of toast, her eldest sister’s one luxury.  This was the picture that her three mistresses presented to Elizabeth’s eyes:  which, though they seemed to notice nothing, must, in reality, have noticed every thing.

“I’ve brought my daughter, ma’am, as you sent word you’d take on trial,” said Mrs. Hand, addressing herself to Selina, who, as the tallest, the best dressed, and the most imposing, was usually regarded by strangers as the head of the family.

“Oh.  Joanna, my dear.”

Miss Leaf came forward, rather uncertainly, for she was of a shy nature, and had been so long accustomed to do the servant’s work of the household, that she felt quite awkward in the character of mistress.  Instinctively she hid her poor hands, that would at once have betrayed her to the sharp eyes of the working-woman, and then, ashamed of her momentary false pride, laid them outside her apron and sat down.

“Will you take a chair, Mrs. Hand?  My sister told you.  I believe all our requirements We only want a good, intelligent girl.  We are willing to teach her every thing.”

“Thank you, kindly; and I be willing and glad for her to learn, ma’am,” replied the mother, her sharp and rather free tone subdued in spite of herself by the gentle voice of Miss Leaf.  Of course, living in the same country town, she knew all about the three school-mistresses, and how till now they had kept no servant.  “It’s her first place, and her’ll be awk’ard at first, most like.  Hold up your head, Lizabeth.”

“Is her name Elizabeth?”

“Far too long and too fine,” observed Selina from the sofa.  “Call her Betty.”

“Any thing you please, Miss; but I call her Lizabeth.  It wor my young missis’ name in my first place, and I never had a second.”

“We will call her Elizabeth,” said Miss Leaf, with the gentle decision she could use on occasion.

There was a little more discussion between the mother and the future mistress as to holidays, Sundays, and so on, during which time the new servant stood silent and impassive in the door-way between the back kitchen and the kitchen, or, as it is called in those regions, the house-place.

As before said, Elizabeth was by no means, a personable girl, and her clothes did not set her off to advantage.  Her cotton frock hung in straight lines down to her ankles, displaying her clumsily shod feet and woolen stockings; above it was a pinafore—­a regular child’s pinafore, of the cheap, strong, blue-speckled print which in those days was generally worn.  A little shabby shawl, pinned at the throat, and pinned very carelessly and crookedly, with an old black bonnet, much too small for her large head and her quantities of ill kept hair, completed the costume.  It did not impress favorably a lady who, being, or rather having been very handsome herself, was as much alive to appearances as the second Miss Leaf.