Part 29 (1/2)

”Wait,” rejoined Mrs. Perkin, with a quiet dignity, well copied, ”until you are addressed, young woman.”--Then first casting a glance at her, and perhaps perceiving on her countenance a glimmer of the amus.e.m.e.nt Mary felt, she began to gather a more correct suspicion of the sort of being she might possibly be, and hastily added, ”Pray, take a seat.”

The idea of making a blunder was unendurable to Mrs. Perkin, and she was most unwilling to believe she had done so; but, even if she had, to show that she knew it would only be to render it the more difficult to recover her pride of place. An involuntary twinkle about the corners of Mary's mouth made her hasten to answer her question.

”I am sorry,” she said, ”that I can give you no prospect of an interview with Mrs. Redmain before three o'clock. She will very likely not be out of her room before one.--I suppose you saw her at Durnmelling?”

”Yes, ma'am,” answered Mary, ”--and at Testbridge.”

It kept growing on the housekeeper that she had made a mistake--though to what extent she sought in vain to determine.

”You will find it rather wearisome waiting,” she said next; ”--would you not like to help me with my work?”

Already she had the sunflowers under her creative hands.

”I should be very glad--if I can do it well enough to please you, ma'am,” answered Mary. ”But,” she added, ”would you kindly see that Mrs. Redmain is told, as soon as she wakes, that I am here?”

”Oblige me by ringing the bell,” said Mrs. Perkin.--”Send Mrs. Folter here.”'

A rather cross-looking, red-faced, thin woman appeared, whom she requested to let her mistress know, as soon as was proper, that there was a young person in the house who said she had come from Testbridge by appointment to see her.

”Yes, ma'am,” said Folter, with a supercilious yet familiar nod to Mary; ”I'll take care she knows.”

Mary pa.s.sed what would have been a dreary morning to one dependent on her company. It was quite three o'clock when she was at length summoned to Mrs. Redmain's boudoir. Folter, who was her guide thither, lingered, in the soft closing of the door, long enough to learn that her mistress received the young person with a kiss--almost as much to Mary's surprise as Folter's annoyance, which annoyance partly to relieve, partly to pa.s.s on to Mrs. Perkin, whose reception of Mary she had learned, Folter hastened to report the fact, and succeeded thereby in occasioning no small uneasiness in the bosom of the housekeeper, who was almost as much afraid of her mistress as the other servants were of herself. Some time she spent in expectant trepidation, but gradually, as nothing came of it, calmed her fears, and concluded that her behavior to Mary had been quite correct, seeing the girl had made it no ground of complaint.

But, although Hesper, being at the moment in tolerable spirits, in reaction from her depression of the day before, received Mary with a kiss, she did not ask her a question about her journey, or as to how she had spent the night. She was there, and looking all right, and that was enough. On the other hand, she did proceed to have her at once properly settled.

The little room appointed her looked upon a small court or yard, and was dark, but otherwise very comfortable. As soon as she was left to herself, she opened her boxes, put her things away in drawers and wardrobe, arranged her books within easy reach of the low chair Hesper had sent for from the drawing-room for her, and sat down to read a little, brood a little, and build a few castles in the air, more lovely than evanescent: no other house is so like its builder as this sort of castle.

About eight o'clock, Folter summoned her to go to Mrs. Redmain. By this time she was tired: she was accustomed to tea in the afternoon, and since her dinner with the housekeeper she had had nothing.

She found Mrs. Redmain dressed for the evening. As soon as Mary entered, she dismissed Folter.

”I am going out to dinner,” she said. ”Are you quite comfortable?”

”I am rather cold, and should like some tea,” said Mary.

”My poor girl! have you had no tea?” said Hesper, with some concern, and more annoyance. ”You are looking quite pale, I see! When did you have anything to eat?”

”I had a good dinner at one o'clock,” replied Mary, with a rather weary smile.

”This is dreadful!” said Hesper. ”What can the servants be about!”

”And, please, may I have a little fire?” begged Mary.

”Certainly,” replied Hesper, knitting her brows with a look of slight anguish. ”Is it possible you have been sitting all day without one? Why did you not ring the bell?” She took one of her hands. ”You are frozen!” she said.

”Oh, no!” answered Mary; ”I am far from that. You see n.o.body knows yet what to do with me.--You hardly know yourself,” she added, with a merry look. ”But, if you wouldn't mind telling Mrs. Perkin where you wish me to have my meals, that would put it all right, I think.”

”Very well,” said Hesper, in a tone that for her was sharp. ”Will you ring the bell?”

She sent for the housekeeper, who presently appeared--lank and tall, with her head on one side like a lamp-post in distress, but calm and prepared--a dumb fortress, with a live garrison.