wasted crusts of bread filled her mind with dismay. But she swallowed
all her apprehensions down, out of her regard for Lady Ludlow, and desire
to be of service to her. No one knows how great a trial it was to her
when she thought of Sally, unchecked and unscolded for three hours every
morning. But all she said was--

"'Sally, go to the Deuce.' I beg your pardon, my lady, if I was talking
to myself; it's a habit I have got into of keeping my tongue in practice,
and I am not quite aware when I do it. Three hours every morning! I
shall be only too proud to do what I can for your ladyship; and I hope
Mr. Horner will not be too impatient with me at first. You know,
perhaps, that I was nearly being an authoress once, and that seems as if
I was destined to 'employ my time in writing.'"

"No, indeed; we must return to the subject of the clerkship afterwards,
if you please. An authoress, Miss Galindo! You surprise me!"

"But, indeed, I was. All was quite ready. Doctor Burney used to teach
me music: not that I ever could learn, but it was a fancy of my poor
father's. And his daughter wrote a book, and they said she was but a
very young lady, and nothing but a music-master's daughter; so why should
not I try?"

"Well?"

"Well! I got paper and half-a-hundred good pens, a bottle of ink, all
ready--"

"And then--"