“Fragments from their dream of human life.”

Where could the children have picked up the original of such absurd nonsense?

Aunt Judy had no time to make it out, for now the mincing voices began again, and she sat listening.

“Have you had no curious adventures with your maids, ma’am?” inquires No. 5 of No. 4.

No. 5 makes an attempt at a bewitching grin as he speaks, fanning himself with a fan which he has had in his hand all the time he was telling his story.

“Well, ladies,” replied No. 4, only just able to compose herself to talk, “I don’t think I have been quite as fortunate as yourselves in having so many extraordinary things to tell.  My servants have been sadly common-place, and done just as they ought.  But still, once, ladies—­once, a curious little incident did occur to me.”

“Oh, ma’am, I entreat you—­pray let us hear it!” burst from all the ladies at once.

No. 4 had to bite her lip to preserve her gravity, and then she turned to No. 5 —

“The fan, if you please, ma’am!”

The rule was, that the one fan was placed at the disposal of the story-teller for the time, so No. 5 handed it to No. 4, with a graceful bow; and No. 4 waffed it to and fro immediately, and began her account:-

“People are so unscrupulous you see, ladies, about giving characters.  It’s really shocking.  For my part, I don’t know what the world will come to at last.  We shall all have to be our own servants, I suppose.  People say anything about anything, that’s the fact!  Only fancy, ma’am, three different ladies once recommended a cook to me as the best soup-maker in the country.  Now that sounded a very high recommendation, for, of course, if a cook can make soups, she can do anything—­sweetmeats and those kind of things follow of themselves.  So, ma am, I took her, and had a dinner-party, and ordered two soups, entirely that I might show off what a good cook I had got.  Think what a compliment to her, and how much obliged she ought to have been!  Well, ma’am, I ordered the two soups, as I said, one white, and the other brown; and everything appeared to be going on in the best possible manner, when, as I was sitting in the drawing-room entertaining the company, I was told I was wanted.

“When I got out of the room, there was the man I had hired to wait, and says he:-

“’If you please, ma’am where are the knives?  I can’t find any at all!’

“‘No knives!’ says I.  ’Dear me, don’t come to me about the knives.  Ask the cook, of course.’

“‘Please, ma’am, I have asked her, and she only laughed.’

“‘Then,’ said I, ’ask the housemaid.  It’s impossible for me to come out and look for the knives.’

“Well, ladies,” continued No. 4, “would you believe it?—­could anyone believe it?—­when I sat down to dinner, and began to help the soup, no sooner had the silver ladle (my ladle is silver, ladies) been plunged into the tureen, than a most singular rattling was heard.