One thing, however, Maud could not help
noticing, and that was that her mother was clearly very extravagant
in her mode of living. New and costly dresses were constantly being
purchased, as well as articles of luxury for the house. Mrs. Enderby
had of late provided herself with a _femme de chambre_, a young
woman who arrayed herself with magnificence in her mistresses
castoff dresses, and whose appearance and demeanour had something
the reverse of domestic. Maud almost feared her. Then there was a
hired brougham constantly in use. Whenever Mrs. Enderby spent an
evening at home, company was sure to be entertained; noisy and showy
people filled the drawing-room, and remained till late hours. Maud
did not even see their faces, but the voices of one or two men and
women became only too familiar to her; even in the retirement of her
room she could not avoid hearing these voices, and they made her
shudder. Especially she was conscious of Mr. Rudge's presence; she
knew his very step on the stairs, and waited in feverish
apprehension for the first notes of an accompaniment on the piano,
which warned her that he was going to sing. He had a good voice, and
it was often in request.
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