In India she had always been attended by her Ayah, who had followed her about and waited on her, hand and foot.

She had often been tired of her company.

Now she was followed by nobody and was learning to dress herself because Martha looked as though she thought she was silly and stupid when she wanted to have things handed to her and put on.
"Hasn't tha' got good sense ?" she said once, when Mary had stood waiting for her to put on her gloves for her.

"Our Susan Ann is twice as sharp as thee an' she's only four year' old.

Sometimes tha' looks fair soft in th' head." Mary had worn her contrary scowl for an hour after that, but it made her think several entirely new things.
She stood at the window for about ten minutes this morning after Martha had swept up the hearth for the last time and gone downstairs.