'Where's the breakfast table?' said the Doctor.

'In the house,' returned Britain.

'Are you going to spread it out here, as you were told last night?'
said the Doctor. 'Don't you know that there are gentlemen coming?
That there's business to be done this morning, before the coach
comes by? That this is a very particular occasion?'

'I couldn't do anything, Dr. Jeddler, till the women had done
getting in the apples, could I?' said Britain, his voice rising
with his reasoning, so that it was very loud at last.

'Well, have they done now?' replied the Doctor, looking at his
watch, and clapping his hands. 'Come! make haste! where's
Clemency?'

'Here am I, Mister,' said a voice from one of the ladders, which a
pair of clumsy feet descended briskly. 'It's all done now. Clear
away, gals. Everything shall be ready for you in half a minute,
Mister.'

With that she began to bustle about most vigorously; presenting, as
she did so, an appearance sufficiently peculiar to justify a word
of introduction.

She was about thirty years old, and had a sufficiently plump and
cheerful face, though it was twisted up into an odd expression of
tightness that made it comical. But, the extraordinary homeliness