Oh; she was the queerest and kindest little body! At first I helped her servant in the kitchen,--she lived quite by herself, with one servant,--but little by little she made me a sort of lady's maid, and I did no more rough work.

You wouldn't believe the ridiculous fancies of that dear old woman! She thought herself a great beauty, and often told me so very plainly, and she used to talk to me about her chances of being married to this and the other person in the neighbourhood.

And the result of all this was that she had to spend I don't know how long every day in dressing herself, and then looking at herself in the glass.

And I had to learn how to do her hair, and put paint and powder on her face, and all sorts of wonderful things.

She was as good to me as she could be, and I never wanted for anything.