"
She drew near to the enormous, antiquated cooking place.
"People were not very practical when this was built," she said. "It
looks as if it must waste a great deal of coal. Is it----?" she looked
at Mrs. Noakes. "Do you like it?"
There was a practical directness in the question for which Mrs. Noakes
was not prepared. Until this moment, it had apparently mattered little
whether she liked things or not. The condition of her implements of
trade was one of her grievances--the ancient fireplace and ovens the
bitterest.
"It's out of order, miss," she answered. "And they don't use 'em like
this in these days."
"I thought not," said Miss Vanderpoel.
She made other inquiries as direct and significant of the observing eye,
and her passage through the lower part of the establishment left Mrs.
Noakes and her companions in a strange but not unpleasurable state of
ferment.
"Think of a young lady that's never had nothing to do with kitchens,
going straight to that shameful old fireplace, and seeing what it meant
to the woman that's got to use it. 'Do you like it?' she says. If she'd
been a cook herself, she couldn't have put it straighter. She's got
eyes."
"She's been using them all over the place," said Robert.
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