It was really good-natured of Miss Slowcum to offer to accompany the
girls on their first walk in London. She had the greatest horror of
ever appearing remarkable and she felt really alarmed at the thought
of taking four unsophisticated country lasses abroad. It was bad
enough to offer to escort the Mainwarings, who, however _gauche_ they
might appear, were undoubtedly ladies, but to take Poppy, _alias_
Sarah, as well, was really trying. Without Poppy, however, the girls
refused to stir. There was no help for it, and Miss Slowcum only
trusted that their first walk might be short and uneventful.
"It is an unpleasant arrangement, but I do not see any help for it,"
she said, addressing her little party as they assembled in the hall;
"we must sally forth as though we were a school. You, Miss Jasmine,
will have the goodness to walk in front with me. Miss Mainwaring and
her youngest sister can immediately follow us, and Sarah, you will
please to keep behind."
"Oh, lor!" ejaculated Poppy, "I thought me and Miss Jasmine was to
stay together--it's what I has been looking forward to through all the
toils of the work, and the smuts and the Sarah Janes, and the Sarah
Marys this morning.
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