A Fair Fraud — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

8, A Fair Fraud to do nothing in return for these daily bless- ings. ‘You are to be my companion,’ Mrs Drury had said to her. ‘I have no daughters to look after me, as many women have, and there are a great many things which you can do to be useful to me, and in that way you will feel you - are earning your living.’ So Marion’s duties were clearly defined and accurately laid down for her. She rose early, and cleaned and fed the birds, of which Mrs Drury kept a large aviary full. She picked fresh flowers in the summer, and arranged them in vases all over the house. Also, she counted and.sorted the washing, and kept the keys of the linen cupboard. If there was a dinner-party, it was her province to decorate the table and write the menus. If Mrs Drury had any letters she could give her to answer, she did so; and when the house- keeper wanted groceries from London, she made out the store lists, and unpacked and put the goods away when they arrived. But the most important part of her duties consisted in reading aloud to her aunt. Mrs. Drury’s eyes were weak, and reading small print tired them. Marion read the newspapers daily to her—all the leading articles, the fashionable news, the latest intelligence, and even the items of the money market. All these things were deeply GOMMGIOO Sp! C(O) i