Mamma, with the hot face and untidy hair, came next. "Well, girls,"
she said, "as you are all served, I don't see why I'm to be left
out. Perhaps, Miss Grogram"--she was an old maid, you see--
"perhaps, Miss Grogram, you could get me as much as would make a
decent-sized reticule."
There was not the slightest difficulty in doing this. The harpy in
the centre again went to work, snip, snip, and extracting from that
portion of the affairs which usually sustained the greater portion
of Mr. Horne's weight two large round pieces of cloth, presented
them to the well-pleased matron. "The general knew well where to
get a bit of good broadcloth, certainly," said she, again feeling
the pieces.
"And now for No. 1," said she whom I so absolutely hated; "I think
there is still enough for a pair of slippers. There's nothing so
nice for the house as good black cloth slippers that are warm to the
feet and don't show the dirt." And so saying, she spread out on the
floor the lacerated remainders.
"There's a nice bit there," said young lady No. 2, poking at one of
the pockets with the end of her parasol.
"Yes," said the harpy, contemplating her plunder. "But I'm thinking
whether I couldn't get leggings as well.
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