The effect of the joint performance was at first ludicrous, and by degrees maddening, especially when we had come to the Old Hundredth, which was so familiar in connection with the words of the Psalm.
"Three and four and--" began poor Maria afresh, with desperate resolution; and then off she went up the key-board; "one and two and three and four and, one and two and three and four and--" "-- joy--His--courts--un--to," ground the organ in the inevitable pause.

And then my cousin took courage and made another start--"Three and four and one and two and," etc.; but at the old place the nasal notes of the other instrument evoked "al--ways," from my memory; and Maria pausing in despair, the Old Hundredth finished triumphantly, "For--it--is--seemly--so--to--do." At half-past eight Maria stopped abruptly in the middle of her run, and Nurse took me down to the school-room for breakfast.
The school-room was high and narrow, with a very old carpet, and a very old piano, some books, two globes, and a good deal of feminine rubbish in the way of old work-baskets, unfinished sewing, etc.

There were two long windows, the lower halves of which were covered with paint.

This mattered the less as the only view from them was of backyards, roofs, and chimneys.

Living as I did, so much alone with my father, I was at first oppressed by the number of petticoats in the room--five girls of ages ranging from twelve to six, and a grown-up lady in a spare brown stuff dress and spectacles.
As we entered she came quickly forward and shook Nurse by the hand.
"How do you do, Mrs.Bundle?
Very glad to see you again, Mrs.Bundle." Nurse Bundle shook hands first, and curtsied afterwards.
"I'm very well, thank you, ma'am, and hope you're the same.