¬ÝVanderpool‚Äôs lips the smile died. Mary Taylor flushed, and Mrs. ¬ÝGrey cried frankly:
“Poor things!” she whispered.
‚ÄúNow,‚Äù said Mrs. ¬ÝGrey, turning about, ‚Äúwe haven‚Äôt but just a moment and we want to take a little look at your work.‚Äù She smiled graciously upon Miss Smith.
Mrs. ¬ÝGrey thought the cooking-school very nice.
“I suppose,” she said, “that you furnish cooks for the county.”
‚ÄúLargely,‚Äù said Miss Smith. Mrs. ¬ÝVanderpool looked surprised, but Miss Smith added: ‚ÄúThis county, you know, is mostly black.‚Äù Mrs. ¬ÝGrey did not catch the point.
The dormitories were neat and the ladies expressed great pleasure in them.
‚ÄúIt is certainly nice for them to know what a clean place is,‚Äù commented Mrs. ¬ÝGrey. Mr. ¬ÝCresswell, however, looked at a bathroom and smiled.
“How practical!” he said.
“Can you not stop and see some of the classes?” Sarah Smith knew in her heart that the visit was a failure, still she would do her part to the end.
‚ÄúI doubt if we shall have time,‚Äù Mrs. ¬ÝGrey returned, as they walked on. ‚Äú Mr. ¬ÝCresswell expects friends to dinner.‚Äù
‚ÄúWhat a magnificent intelligence office,‚Äù remarked Mr. ¬ÝBocombe, ‚Äúfor furnishing servants to the nation. I saw splendid material for cooks and maids.‚Äù