the side door with one of the tradesmen, as is her wont. As in time it
did not die away, but began to get a little more heated (one voice
appearing to be raised in entreaty and the other, Elizabeth's, in
protest), I thought I had better saunter out and interrupt the
causerie. Elizabeth has occasionally to be reminded of her work in
this manner. She is too fond of gossiping.

I opened the door ostentatiously and sallied out--just in time to see
Elizabeth playfully pulling William by the beard. 'You get them
whiskers orf--narsty, rarspin' things,' she was saying.

It was an awful moment. Elizabeth had the grace to look ashamed of
herself for once, and drifted back to her sink without a word. As for
William, he appeared thoroughly unnerved. He tottered towards me.
'Let me explain,' he began.

'William!' I said in stern tones. Then again, '_William!_' He wilted
under my gaze. 'I should never have thought such a thing of you,' I
continued.

He pointed with a finger that trembled in the direction of the kitchen.
'That girl has no respect for any one or anything in the world.
Traditions, class distinctions are as nothing to her. She would put
out her tongue at Homer.'

'Or pull the beard of William,' I added sarcastically.

'Until I met her,' he went on fiercely, 'I was entirely a democrat.
But now I see that once power gets into the hands of the common people
we are damned!'