One other infliction there was which the Squire found it very difficult to bear patiently. After dinner, when there was no particular company at Pincote, it was an understood thing that the Squire should have the dining-room to himself for half an hour, in order that he might enjoy the post-prandial snooze which long custom had made almost a necessity with him. But this was an arrangement that failed to meet with the approbation of Mrs. McDermott. She insisted that the Squire should either accompany the ladies, or, otherwise, she herself would keep him company in the dining-room; and woe be to him if he dared so much as close an eye for five seconds! It was “Where are your manners, sir? I’m thoroughly ashamed of you;” or else, “Falling asleep, sir, in the presence of a lady? a clodhopper could do no more than that!” till the Squire felt as if his life were being slowly tormented out of him.
Nor did Jane fail to come in for a share of her aunt’s strictures. Mrs. McDermott evidently looked upon her as little more than a child. Firstly, her hair was not arranged in accordance with her aunt’s ideas of propriety in such matters, which, truth to say, belonged to a somewhat antiquated school. Then the girl was altogether too bright and sunny-looking, with her bows of ribbon and bits of lace showing daintily here and there. And she was too forward in introducing topics of conversation at meal-times, instead of allowing the introduction of appropriate themes to come from her elders and her betters. Then Jane was addicted to the heinous offence of laughing too heartily, and too often. Altogether her aunt saw in her much that stood in need of reformation. Jane bore everything with a sort of good-humoured indifference. “The time to speak is not come yet. I will see how much further she will go,” she said to herself. But when the cook came to her one morning and said: “If you please, miss, Mrs. Dermott says that for the future I am to take my dinner orders from her,” then Jane thought that the time to speak was drawing very near indeed.
“Do as Mrs. McDermott tells you,” she said quietly to the astonished cook.
“Well, I never! I thought that the mistress had more spirit than that,” said the woman as she went back to her duties in the kitchen.