Here she was not
happy and far lonelier even than in London. She did not like to send
all that way for the Adams children, she had a parlour suite all to
herself at the hotel, and was timid about making acquaintances
outside, since everybody now-a-days wanted you to subscribe to
something, and it was so disagreeable having to say "no." She was
not a great walker so she could not enjoy the Talbot woods; the sea
made her feel sad, remembering that Michael was the other side and
the submarines increasingly active: in short, air-raids or no
air-raids, she returned home in March, and her maid, who had been
with her ten years, gave her warning.
But then she had an inspiration! She engaged Mrs. Albert Adams to
take her place, and although the parlour-maid at this took offence
and cut the painter of domestic service, went off to the munitions
till Sergeant Frederick Summers should get leave to come home and
marry her; and they were obliged to engage another parlour-maid in
her place at double the wages: Mrs. Rossiter had done a very wise
thing. "Bert" had been home for three weeks in the preceding
February, and the recently bereaved Mrs. Adams had united her tears
with Mrs. Rossiter's on the misery of the War which separated
attached husbands and wives. It now alleviated the sorrows of both
that they should be together as mistress and maid.
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