Presently，thetimearrivedwhenIwastoremovetoMissMatilda’shouse。Ifoundhertimidandanxiousaboutthearrangementsformycomfort。Manyatime，whileIwasunpacking，didshecomebackwardsandforwardstostirthefirewhichburnedalltheworseforbeingsofrequentlypoked。
\"Haveyoudrawersenough，dear？\"askedshe。\"Idon’tknowexactlyhowmysisterusedtoarrangethem。Shehadcapitalmethods。Iamsureshewouldhavetrainedaservantinaweektomakeabetterfirethanthis，andFannyhasbeenwithmefourmonths。\"
Thissubjectofservantswasastandinggrievance，andIcouldnotwondermuchatit；forifgentlemenwerescarce，andalmostunheardofinthe\"genteelsociety\"ofCranford，theyortheircounterparts—handsomeyoungmen—aboundedinthelowerclasses。Theprettyneatservant—maidshadtheirchoiceofdesirable\"followers\"；andtheirmistresses，withouthavingthesortofmysteriousdreadofmenandmatrimonythatMissMatildahad，mightwellfeelalittleanxiouslesttheheadsoftheircomelymaidsshouldbeturnedbythejoiner，orthebutcher，orthegardener，whowereobliged，bytheircallings，tocometothehouse，andwho，asill—luckwouldhaveit，weregenerallyhandsomeandunmarried。Fanny’slovers，ifshehadany—andMissMatildasuspectedherofsomanyflirtationsthat，ifshehadnotbeenverypretty，Ishouldhavedoubtedherhavingone—wereaconstantanxietytohermistress。Shewasforbidden，bythearticlesofherengagement，tohave\"followers\"；
andthoughshehadanswered，innocentlyenough，doublingupthehemofherapronasshespoke，\"Please，ma’am，Ineverhadmorethanoneatatime，\"MissMattyprohibitedthatone。Butavisionofamanseemedtohauntthekitchen。Fannyassuredmethatitwasallfancy，orelseIshouldhavesaidmyselfthatIhadseenaman’scoat—tailswhiskintothesculleryonce，whenIwentonanerrandintothestore—roomatnight；andanotherevening，when，ourwatcheshavingstopped，Iwenttolookattheclock，therewasaveryoddappearance，singularlylikeayoungmansqueezedupbetweentheclockandthebackoftheopenkitchen—door：andI
thoughtFannysnatchedupthecandleveryhastily，soastothrowtheshadowontheclockface，whilesheverypositivelytoldmethetimehalf—an—hourtooearly，aswefoundoutafterwardsbythechurchclock。ButIdidnotaddtoMissMatty’sanxietiesbynamingmysuspicions，especiallyasFannysaidtome，thenextday，thatitwassuchaqueerkitchenforhavingoddshadowsaboutit，shereallywasalmostafraidtostay；\"foryouknow，miss，\"sheadded，\"Idon’tseeacreaturefromsixo’clocktea，tillMissusringsthebellforprayersatten。\"