Part 31 (1/2)
Ellmother. ”I am staying at Brighton, for the present, with the lady who was Miss Emily's schoolmistress, and I am in need of a maid. Would you be willing to consider it, if I proposed to engage you?”
”Yes, miss.”
”In that case, you can hardly object to the customary inquiry. Why did you leave your last place?”
Mrs. Ellmother appealed to Emily. ”Did you tell this young lady how long I remained in my last place?”
Melancholy remembrances had been revived in Emily by the turn which the talk had now taken. Francine's cat-like patience, stealthily feeling its way to its end, jarred on her nerves. ”Yes,” she said; ”in justice to you, I have mentioned your long term of service.”
Mrs. Ellmother addressed Francine. ”You know, miss, that I served my late mistress for over twenty-five years. Will you please remember that--and let it be a reason for not asking me why I left my place.”
Francine smiled compa.s.sionately. ”My good creature, you have mentioned the very reason why I _should_ ask. You live five-and-twenty years with your mistress--and then suddenly leave her--and you expect me to pa.s.s over this extraordinary proceeding without inquiry. Take a little time to think.”
”I want no time to think. What I had in my mind, when I left Miss Let.i.tia, is something which I refuse to explain, miss, to you, or to anybody.”
She recovered some of her old firmness, when she made that reply.
Francine saw the necessity of yielding--for the time at least, Emily remained silent, oppressed by remembrance of the doubts and fears which had darkened the last miserable days of her aunt's illness. She began already to regret having made Francine and Mrs. Ellmother known to each other.
”I won't dwell on what appears to be a painful subject,” Francine graciously resumed. ”I meant no offense. You are not angry, I hope?”
”Sorry, miss. I might have been angry, at one time. That time is over.”
It was said sadly and resignedly: Emily heard the answer. Her heart ached as she looked at the old servant, and thought of the contrast between past and present. With what a hearty welcome this broken woman had been used to receive her in the bygone holiday-time! Her eyes moistened. She felt the merciless persistency of Francine, as if it had been an insult offered to herself. ”Give it up!” she said sharply.
”Leave me, my dear, to manage my own business,” Francine replied. ”About your qualifications?” she continued, turning coolly to Mrs. Ellmother.
”Can you dress hair?”
”Yes.”
”I ought to tell you,” Francine insisted, ”that I am very particular about my hair.”
”My mistress was very particular about her hair,” Mrs. Ellmother answered.
”Are you a good needlewoman?”
”As good as ever I was--with the help of my spectacles.”
Francine turned to Emily. ”See how well we get on together. We are beginning to understand each other already. I am an odd creature, Mrs.
Ellmother. Sometimes, I take sudden likings to persons--I have taken a liking to you. Do you begin to think a little better of me than you did?
I hope you will produce the right impression on Miss Ladd; you shall have every a.s.sistance that I can give. I will beg Miss Ladd, as a favor to me, not to ask you that one forbidden question.”
Poor Mrs. Ellmother, puzzled by the sudden appearance of Francine in the character of an eccentric young lady, the creature of genial impulse, thought it right to express her grat.i.tude for the promised interference in her favor. ”That's kind of you, miss,” she said.
”No, no, only just. I ought to tell you there's one thing Miss Ladd is strict about--sweethearts. Are you quite sure,” Francine inquired jocosely, ”that you can answer for yourself, in that particular?”
This effort of humor produced its intended effect. Mrs. Ellmother, thrown off her guard, actually smiled. ”Lord, miss, what will you say next!”
”My good soul, I will say something next that is more to the purpose. If Miss Ladd asks me why you have so unaccountably refused to be a servant again in this house, I shall take care to say that it is certainly not out of dislike to Miss Emily.”