CHAPTER XXVI.
HER POSITION.
Mary seemed to have but just got to sleep again, when she was startled awake by the violent ringing of a bell, almost at her ear.
"Oh, you needn't trouble yet a long while, miss!" said the girl, who was already dressing.

"I've got ever so many fires to light, ere there'll be a thought of you!" Mary lay down again, and once more fell fast asleep.
She was waked the third time by the girl telling her that breakfast was ready; whereupon she rose, and made herself as tidy as she could, while Jemima _cleaned herself up a bit,_ and was not a little improved in the process.
"I thought," she said, "as Mrs.Perkin would 'a' as't you to your first meal with her; but she told me, when I as't what were to be done with you, as how you must go to the room, and eat your breakfast with the rest of us." "As Mrs.Perkin pleases," said Mary.
She had before this come to understand the word of her Master, that not what enters into a man defiles him, but only what comes out of him; hence, that no man's dignity is affected by what another does to him, but only by what he does, or would like to do, himself.
She did, however, feel a little shy on entering "the room," where all the livery and most of the women servants were already seated at breakfast.

Two of the men, with a word to each other, made room for her between them, and laughed; but she took no notice, and seated herself at the bottom of the table with her companion.

Everything was as clean and tidy as heart could wish, and Mary was glad enough to make a good meal.
For a few minutes there was loud talking--from a general impulse to show off before the stranger; then fell a silence, as if some feeling of doubt had got among them.

The least affected by it was the footman who had opened the door to her: he had witnessed her reception by Mrs.
Perkin.