"Ah, good-morning. You are Jessie's governess, I presume," she said,
bowing distantly, and pretending not to notice the hand which Maddy
involuntarily extended toward her. "Jessie speaks well of you, and I
am very glad you suit her. You have had a pleasant time, I trust?"
Her voice was so cold and her manner so distant that Maddy's eyes for
an instant filled with tears, but she answered civilly that she had
been very happy, and everybody was very kind. It was harder work to
put down Maddy Clyde than Agnes had expected, and after a little
further conversation there ensued a silence, which neither was
inclined to break. At last, summoning all her courage, Agnes began: "Excuse me, Miss Clyde, but your own good sense, of which I am sure
you have an abundance, must tell you that now Mr. Remington and myself
are at home, your intercourse with our family must be rather
limited--that is--ahem--that is, neither Mr. Remington nor myself are
accustomed to having our governess very much with us. I suppose you
have had the range of the parlors, sitting there when you liked, and
all this was perfectly proper. Mind, I am finding no fault with you.
It is all quite right," she continued, as she saw the strange look of
terror and surprise visible on Maddy's face. "The past is right, but
in future it will be a little different, I am willing to accord to a
governess all the privileges possible. They are human as well as
myself, but society makes a difference. Don't you know it does?"
"Yes--no--I don't know. Oh, pray tell me what I am to do!" Maddy
gasped, her face as white as ashes, and her eyes wearing as yet only a
scared, uncertain look.
With little, graceful tosses of the head, which set in motion every
one of the brown curls, Mrs. Agnes replied: "You are not, of course, to go to Mr. Remington. It is my matter, and
does not concern him. What I wish is this: You are to come to the
parlor only when invited, and are not to intrude upon us at any time,
particularly when company is here, such as--well, such as Dr.
Holbrook, if you please. As you cannot be with Jessie all the while,
you will, when your labors as governess are over, sit in your own
room, or the schoolroom, or walk in the back yard, just as the higher
servants do--such as Mrs. Noah and the sewing girl, Sarah.
Occasionally we shall have you in to dine with us, but usually you
will take your meals with Mrs. Noah and Sarah. By following these
directions you will, I think, give entire satisfaction."