May explained nervously that she had come to Sarah’s assistance instead. Eliza always made her nervous, because she never seemed to know she was in the room. "There wasn’t that much to do," she finished hurriedly, stumbling over her words. "It’s a pity Mr. Thornthwaite set you looking her up."
"Nay, I don’t know.... I’d have been glad to do anything, I’m sure!" Eliza spoke in her heartiest tones, so that everybody could hear. "Nobody can say I’m one as can’t be bothered to lend a hand. I reckon me and Will have done as much in that line as most." She looked at Sarah again, the smile growing on her lips.... "You’ll not mind me sitting down with you, I suppose?"
"We’re through, thank ye. We’re just off." Sarah pushed her plate from her, and began to fumble shakily for the thread gloves. May looked across at her with a troubled glance, and gathered the parcels together, ready to move. Eliza, however, had no intention of allowing them to escape so soon.
"You’re surely not thinking o’ stirring yet!" she exclaimed, in a hurt tone. "What, we’ve barely as much as passed the time o’ day! You’ll not grudge me a word or two after all my trouble, and me that throng wi’ shopping I didn’t know where to turn. Will was as full of nods and becks as a row o’ poppies in a wind, and I’ve been fair aching ever since to know what he could be at."
She turned in her seat to call a waitress, and ordered a substantial meal; after which, throwing back her fur, she leaned her arms on the table, and resumed her smile. Everybody in the place knew what Eliza Thornthwaite was having for her dinner, and here and there they were saying to each other, "They do themselves rarely at Blindbeck.... There’s a deal o’ brass to Blindbeck ... ay, Blindbeck’s plenty o’ brass!" Eliza knew what they were saying, of course, and felt unctuously pleased; but May’s heart swelled as she looked at Sarah’s scanty, unfinished repast and the thin thread gloves that she was smoothing over her wrists. Eliza had taken off her own gloves by now, showing thick fingers and short nails. They were trapped in the alcove as long as she sat at the table-end, because of her big, overflowing figure which shut the two of them in. They would have to push their way past her if they wanted to get out, and Sarah would never as much as touch her with the end of a ten-foot pole.