Well, I'll go on.

'You're a clever woman, aren't you ?' says she--the impudence! 'I can see through a millstone as far as most,' says I--I wouldn't put up with her sauce.

'Well!' says she, 'you can see that Annie the housemaid's leaving, too.' 'Has her sister got twins as well ?' says I and looked at her.

'No,' says she as bold as brass, 'but Annie's got a pain in her side and she's feared it's appendycitis--so she's leaving to go back to her family.' 'Oh,' says I, 'and what about Miss Van Gorder ?' 'I'm sorry for Miss Van Gorder,' says she--the falseness of her!--'But she'll have to do the best she can for twins and appendycitis is acts of God and not to be put aside for even the best of wages.' 'Is that so ?' says I and with that I left her, for I knew if I listened to her a minute longer I'd be giving her bonnet a shake and that wouldn't be respectable.

So there you are, Miss Neily, and that's the gist of the matter." Miss Cornelia laughed.