The Ladies Lindores by Margaret Oliphant

Old Rolls had been butler at Dalrulzian since John Erskine was a child. He had "stayed on" after Mrs. Erskine's second marriage with reluctance, objecting seriously to a step-master at all, and still more to one that was an "English minister"; but the house had many attractions for him. He liked the place; his sister was the cook, a very stationary sort of woman, who had the greatest disinclination to move. She was a sort of human cat, large and smooth and good-natured, almost always purring, satisfied with herself and all who were moderately good to her; and, as was natural, she made the butler very comfortable, and was extremely attentive to all his little ways. When Colonel Barrington took the house, Rolls once more expressed his determination to leave. "What for? " said the placid Bauby; "the gentleman was keen to have a' the servants -- a' the servants that would bide. " "A' the servants! there's so many of us," said Rolls, derisively. There was indeed only himself, the cook, and one housemaid; the other, who had charge of John in his earlier days, and still was attached to him more or less, had gone with the family -- and so, of course, had Mrs. Kingsford's maid. "We'll mak' a grand show in the servants' hall -- we're just a garrison," Rolls said. "We're plenty for a' the work there is the now," said the mild woman, "and they'll bring some with them. What ails ye to bide? You're real well aff -- and me that kens exactly how you like your meat. Where would you be studied as I study you? You may just be thankful it's in your power. " "It was with the Erskines I took service," said Rolls. "I'm no sure that I could put up with strangers, and them just travelling English. Besides, I've never been clear that service is my vocation. A kent family is one thing, a foreign master another. Him and me would very likely no get on -- or them and me would no get on. All went very well in the last reign. Harry Erskine was a gentleman, like all his forebears before him; but how am I to tell who is this Cornel, or whatever they ca' him -- a man I never heard tell of before? I'll give them over the keys, and maybe I'll wait till they're suited, but nobody can ask me to do more."