Part 12 (1/2)
”No, I won't come to supper, but I'll come in time for the acting. I am very much obliged, I am sure.”
Louisa gave vent to a great yawn.
”Seems to me,” she said, ”that you aint up to much shopping; you haven't gone into one shop yet.”
”No more I have,” said Alison. ”I have changed my mind; I won't buy the things I meant to to-night. I'll go home now; so I'll say good-evening.”
”Good-evening,” said Louisa, accompanying her words with a sweeping courtesy which she considered full of style and grace.
She went home chuckling to herself.
”I guess that acting will finish up Alison's love affair,” she thought.
”It won't be any fault of mine if it doesn't. Oh, good-evening, Mr.
Sampson.”
George Sampson, who had been looking out for Louisa, now joined her, and the two walked back to the p.a.w.nshop arm in arm, and talking very confidentially together, Louisa had been true to her own predictions--she had so flattered and so a.s.siduously wooed George Sampson that he was her devoted slave by this time. He came to see her every night, and had a.s.sured Jim Hardy long ago that of all people in the world Louisa was the last who had anything to do with the stealing of the five-pound note. Louisa's own charms were the sort which would appeal to a man like Sampson, but whether he would have made up his mind to marry her, if he did not know that she was safe to have a nice little sum down from her father on her wedding-day, remains an open question.
As Alison walked home, many angry and jealous thoughts whirled through her brain. Was Jim really false to her?--she forgot all about his face that afternoon; she forgot his earnest words. She only recalled Louisa's look of triumph and the little play which was to be acted in her presence.
”Yes, I'll be there,” thought the girl; ”yes, Christmas Eve shall decide it.”
She ran upstairs and entered the kitchen. Grannie and David were sitting side by side, engaged in earnest conversation. David blushed when he saw Alison, and suddenly slipped something under the table; Grannie patted his arm softly with her left hand.
”Well, Ally, you are home in double-quick time,” she said.
”Too quick, is it?” said Alison, taking off her hat and flinging herself wearily into the nearest chair.
”No, no, my child, never too quick,” said the old lady; ”and did you get a good bargain?” she added the next minute anxiously. ”Were you careful in the spending of that s.h.i.+llin'? Why, I don't see any parcels. For mercy's sake child, don't tell me that you dropped the s.h.i.+llin'.”
”No, I didn't, Grannie; here it is. Somehow I am out of humor for bargains to-night--that's why I come back.”
Grannie took back the precious s.h.i.+lling tenderly. She went to the cupboard and restored it to her purse. As she did so, she gave a sigh of relief. She was full of respect for Alison's powers, but not as a bargainer; she was certain she could get a penny-worth more value out of the s.h.i.+lling than her grand-daughter would.
”Dave,” she said, turning to the lad as she spoke, ”Ally and I have made up our minds that, whatever happens, we'll have a right good Christmas. We'll have a puddin' and snap-dragon, and a little bit of beef, and everything hot and tasty, and we'll have the stockings hung up just as usual by the children's beds; bless 'em, we'll manage it somehow--somehow or other it has got to be done. Who knows but perhaps cheerful times may follow Christmas? Yes, who knows? There's never no use in being downhearted.”
”I suppose you are thinkin' of a wedding,” said Alison suddenly.
”Well, dear child, and why not?”
”There's not much chance of it,” was the reply, in a defiant tone.
”Anyhow,” continued Alison, ”I've made up my mind to look for another situation to-morrow.”
Grannie's little white face became clouded.
”I am going to Oxford Street, to a registry office,” said Alison. ”I know lots about counter work, and I don't doubt that I may get a very good place; anyhow, I'm going to try.”
”Well, that's sperit, there's no denying that,” said the old lady; ”it's in the breed, and it can't be crushed.”