It takes some time for Elsie to regain her ability to speak. She is deeply embarrassed by her outburst and she apologises profusely, assuring Edward that she is not one of those delicate, affected girls, "but it has all turned out so horrible".
Evidently things had been sour between Mr. and Mrs. Tubbs for some time, the cause being Jack Starhouse, or rather Mr. Tubbs's obsession with him. In company Mrs. Tubbs would stand by her husband and good-naturedly excuse his peculiar monomania, but in private she had been at the end of her tether, and she had often confided with her maid.
"They had an awful row the night before. Not like a village wife and a drunken husband might, I never heard them scream or curse, but I could tell, as they were sitting at the opposite ends of the table at supper instead of close together, as was their usual way. They'd barely speak, in fact my lady never said a word. Only Mr. Tubbs would and he'd refer to her as 'Mrs. Ormskirk'. Elsie, he'd say, tell Mrs. Ormskirk this, or pass Mrs. Ormskirk that. It was awful cruel, and in the end she got up and retired without finishing her meal."
Edward knows of the "Mrs. Ormskirk" character from his childhood. Apparently inspired by a real person, she is the embodiment of the nagging magician's wife who would always seek to hinder her husband, whether by stupidity or by malice. She is featured in many comedic plays and the audience loves to jeer and abuse her - it is truly a childish thing for Mr. Tubbs to have called his wife by that name.
"The next day was Cook's day off and it fell to me fill in her place. She had prepared the meals beforehand, of course, I only had to heat up and arrange things. I was in the kitchen, and suddenly Mrs. Tubbs arrives and tells me that she is to prepare the breakfast for Mr. Tubbs. I assured her that I could do it - but she told me rather sharply that I am to see to my other chores. I admit I was a bit miffed since there was no need for her to use that tone with me, also I had gotten up earlier than usual and it was turning out to be for nothing. Not to mention that I've never seen my mistress make so much as a piece of toast. But in the end I thought she was trying to mend things with the master, so I left..."
Elsie's voice gets thinner and hoarser as she speaks and for a moment it seems that Edward's handkerchief would need to be employed again; but the maid takes a deep breath and composes herself. "I was helping Henry with the silverware," she continues, "so I didn't really see what happened. I-- I was hiding, to tell the truth, I didn't want to witness the same scene as the previous night. But when time passed and no one rang the bell to call a servant to clear the table I started to worry and went up and... No one was there but the window was open and I could see Mrs. Tubbs in the courtyard. She was only in her morning gown, so I grabbed a shawl and ran down to her, but when I offered it to her she looked at me - white as a sheet she was, and her eyes were mad. It was as if she was looking straight through me. 'Elsie,' she said, 'Mr. Tubbs has left on business.' This is the last sensible word I heard from her."
