Then she stood leaning with one shoulder against the frame of the dining-parlour door, peeping in when it was ajar.

She saw Tom and Lucy with an empty chair between them, and there were the custards on a side-table; it was too much.

She slipped in and went toward the empty chair.

But she had no sooner sat down than she repented and wished herself back again.
Mrs.Tulliver gave a little scream as she saw her, and felt such a "turn" that she dropped the large gravy-spoon into the dish, with the most serious results to the table-cloth.

For Kezia had not betrayed the reason of Maggie's refusal to come down, not liking to give her mistress a shock in the moment of carving, and Mrs.Tulliver thought there was nothing worse in question than a fit of perverseness, which was inflicting its own punishment by depriving Maggie of half her dinner.
Mrs.Tulliver's scream made all eyes turn towards the same point as her own, and Maggie's cheeks and ears began to burn, while uncle Glegg, a kind-looking, white-haired old gentleman, said,-- "Heyday! what little gell's this?
Why, I don't know her.