"Les confitures! Elles sont brles? Ah, quelle ngligence coupable! Coquine de cuisinire, fille insupportable!"
And mademoiselle, hastily taking from a drawer a large linen apron, and tying it over her black apron, rushed _perdue_ into the kitchen, whence, to speak truth, exhaled an odour of calcined sweets rather strong than savoury.
The mistress and maid had been in full feud the whole day, on the subject of preserving certain black cherries, hard as marbles, sour as sloes. Sarah held that sugar was the only orthodox condiment to be used in that process; mademoiselle maintained--and proved it by the practice and experience of her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother--that treacle, "mlasse," was infinitely preferable. She had committed an imprudence in leaving Sarah in charge of the preserving-pan, for her want of sympathy in the nature of its contents had induced a degree of carelessness in watching their confection, whereof the result was--dark and cindery ruin. Hubbub followed; high upbraiding, and sobs rather loud than deep or real.

"Les confitures! Elles sont brles? Ah, quelle ngligence! Fille insupportable!"
And mademoiselle rushed into the kitchen, whence came a strong odour of charcoaled sweets.
The mistress and maid had been feuding the whole day on the subject of preserving sour black cherries. Sarah held that sugar should be used; mademoiselle maintained that treacle was far better. She had imprudently left Sarah in charge of the preserving-pan; and the maid's lack of sympathy for its contents had induced a degree of carelessness, whose result was dark and cindery ruin. Hubbub followed; high upbraiding, and sobs more loud than real.
