They appeared to understand very perfectly. One of them--Comethup thought it was the butler--even stepped forward and murmured a little incoherent speech, intended to convey the loyalty of himself and his fellow-servants to the young master. Miss Charlotte Carlaw nodded approval, even punctuated the broken speech with nods, and dismissed them all with a wave of her hand.
"Now you understand, Comethup," she said, turning to the boy when they had gone, and putting her hand on his shoulder, "what your power here is. You'll find, although I don't think you need the advice, that all the money in the world won't enable you to hold that power if you don't set about your life in the right way. If you're peevish, or tyrannical, or unjust--well, you must expect to get sour looks and unwilling service; if you are a gentleman, and show that you only demand what is your right, and demand it courteously--for servants are human beings, and have their feelings--you'll be served gladly and faithfully; at least that's what _I_'ve found. Now come with me, and I'll show you over the house, and I'll show you your rooms."
She appeared to know every inch of the great house, from the lowest floor to the garret, telling him instantly what each room was, even to the servants' rooms. "I keep a butler and a housekeeper," she explained, "but I like to know everything myself, and what everybody is doing. They used to think once they could cheat me because I couldn't see 'em; but they found out their mistake long since."
It was indeed a beautiful house, scrupulously kept, and very richly furnished. Rare pictures hung on the walls, and wonderful china stood on shelves in cabinets; and the tables and chairs and other articles of furniture were many of them richly inlaid with rare and precious woods. "I can't see any of these things, you know, Comethup; I can only tell the shape of them, and I'm a pretty good judge in that way. But all these things are here because it pleases me to think that I can afford to buy them, and to delight other people's eyes with them, perhaps even to make some of 'em a little envious. I was born to have eyes, if ever any creature was, for I love rich and beautiful things, even pictures. I've got a man who happens to be honest, and knows a good picture when he sees one. When you've grown older, and studied hard, you'll know the value of all these things, Comethup, and you'll be able to describe, in your own way, all the pictures to me; and that will please us both. Now come and look at your own rooms."