"The drawer was a very deep drawer, ma'am, so I thought perhaps the
cat had crept in," continued No. 5. "Well, I went to it to see, and
there it was, partly open, with a cotton gown in it that didn't
belong to me. Imagine my feelings at THAT, ma'am! So I pulled at
the handles to get the drawer quite open, but it wouldn't come, it
was as heavy as lead. It was really very alarming--one doesn't like
such odd things happening--but at last I got it open, though I
tumbled backwards as I did so; and what do you think, ma'am--ladies--
what DO you think was in it?"

"The cook!" shrieked No. 4, convulsed with laughter; and the whole
party clapped their hands and roared applause.

"The cook, ma'am, actually the cook!" pursued No. 5, "one of the
fattest, most POONCHY little women you ever saw. And what do you
think was the history of it? I kept my up-stairs Pickwick in the
corner of that bottom drawer. She had seen it there that very
morning, when she was helping to dust the room, and took the
opportunity of a spare half-hour to slip up and rest herself by
reading it in the drawer. Unluckily, however, she had fallen asleep,
and when I got the drawer out, there she lay, and I actually heard
her snore. A shocking thing this education, ma'am, you see, and
teaching people to read. All the cooks in the country are spoilt!"

Peals of laughter greeted this wonderfully witty concoction of No.
5's, and the lemon-coloured tea and biscuits were partaken of during
the pause which followed.

Aunt Judy meanwhile, who had been quite unable to resist joining in
the laugh herself, was seated on the floor, behind the open door of