A very short woman. She had a kind, plump face, pretty for its age. She wore a cap and had on a maid's uniform.
"Yes?" asked the woman.
"I'm Jenny? The new girl?"
"Ah! We've been waiting for you!" said the woman with an Irish accent. "Come in, lass! I'm Hope, the kitchen maid."
Jenny entered and followed Hope into the servants' dining area. It took her eyes a few second to adjust to the light inside. She sat in a chair by the table and
looked at Hope. At first, she wasn't sure she was actually seeing -- what she was seeing! But, sure enough, from under the skirt of Hope's uniform, there was a tail!
In a second, Hope had jumped up on top of the table to better see Jenny. And Jenny could better see Hope. The kitchen maid's arms were long and hairy. Hope
wore no shoes, and Jenny could see her feet were like small hands! There was no denying it. Hope's head was definitely human, if a little smaller than normal. But
Hope had the body of a monkey!
Jenny was so startled, she couldn't speak.