about as mean as they're made!" And the Murchisons had
descended to face the situation. Lorne had by then done
his part, and gone out into the chromatic possibilities
of the day; but the sense of injury he had communicated
to Advena in her bed remained and expanded. Lobelia, it
was felt. had scurvily manipulated the situation--her
situation, it might have been put, if any Murchison had
been in the temper for jesting. She had taken unjustifiable
means to do a more unjustifiable thing, to secure for
herself an improper and unlawful share of the day's
excitements, transferring her work, by the force of
circumstances, to the shoulders of other people since,
as Mrs Murchison remarked, somebody had to do it. Nor
had she her mistress testified the excuse of fearing
unreasonable confinement. "I told her she might go when
she had done her dishes after dinner," said Mrs Murchison,
"and then she had only to come back at six and get
tea--what's getting tea? I advised her to finish her
ironing yesterday, so as to be free of it today; and she
said she would be very glad to. Now, I wonder if she DID
finish it!" and Mrs Murchison put down her pan of potatoes
with a thump to look in the family clothes basket. "Not
she! Five shirts and ALL the coloured things. I call it
downright deceit!"

"I believe I know the reason she'll SAY," said Advena.
"She objects to rag carpet in her bedroom. She told me so."

"Rag carpet--upon my word!" Mrs Murchison dropped her
knife to exclaim. "It's what her betters have to do with!