"Four," answered Mary, who had been studying Smith.

Instantly Sal seized Mary's hands, and nearly wrenching them off in
her joy, capered and danced about the room, leaping over the cradle,
and finally exclaiming, "Capital! You think just as I do, don't you?
And have the same opinion of her? What are the genders, dear? Repeat
them"

"Masculine, Feminine, Neuter and Common," said Mary

"O, get out with your _common_ gender," screamed Sal. "_My_ grammar
don't read so. It says Masculine, Feminine Neuter and _Grundy_ gender,
to which last but one thing in the world belongs, and that is the lady
below with the cast iron back and India-rubber tongue."

"Do you mean Mrs. Grundy?" asked Mary, and Sal replied, "_Mrs.
Grundy_? and who may Mrs. Grundy be? Oh, I understand, she's been
stuffing you."

"Been what?" said Mary.

"Excuse me," answered Sal. "That's a slang term I've picked up since
I've been here. It's so easy to get contaminated, when one is
constantly associated with such low people. I mean that during my
temporary seclusion Miss Grundy has probably given you erroneous
impressions which I take pleasure in correcting. She has no more right
to order us boarders around, and say when we shall breathe and when we
shan't, than I have. She's nothing more nor less than a town pauper
herself, and has to work at that."