and their wardrobe.
It seemed to me that I had never met so fascinating and so thoughtful
a man. As I was already in debt to my tradesmen, the advance was a
great convenience, and yet there was something unnatural about the
whole transaction which made me wish to know a little more before I
quite committed myself.
May I ask where you live, sir? said I.
Hampshire. Charming rural place. The Copper Beeches, five miles on
the far side of Winchester. It is the most lovely country, my dear
young lady, and the dearest old country-house.
And my duties, sir? I should be glad to know what they would be.
One child one dear little romper just six years old. Oh, if you could
see him killing cockroaches with a slipper! Smack! smack! smack! Three
gone before you could wink! He leaned back in his chair and laughed
his eyes into his head again.
I was a little startled at the nature of the child s amusement, but
the father s laughter made me think that perhaps he was joking.
My sole duties, then, I asked, are to take charge of a single
child?
No, no, not the sole, not the sole, my dear young lady, he cried.
Your duty would be, as I am sure your good sense would suggest, to
obey any little commands my wife might give, provided always that they
were such commands as a lady might with propriety obey. You see no
difficulty, heh?
I should be happy to make myself useful.
Quite so. In dress now, for example. We are faddy people, you
know faddy but kind-hearted. If you were asked to wear any dress which
we might give you, you would not object to our little whim. Heh?
No, said I, considerably astonished at his words.
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