Part 18 (1/2)
SAVED!
”Now let us have a look at the basket, mother,” George said as Mrs.
Andrews returned into the room after seeing her two visitors off.
”It's very kind of him, isn't it? and I am glad he didn't offer us money; that would have been horrid, wouldn't it?”
”I am glad he did not, too, George. Mr. Penrose is evidently a gentleman of delicacy and refinement of feeling, and he saw that he would give pain if he did so.”
”You see it too, don't you, Bill?” George asked. ”You know you thought I was a fool not to take money when he offered it for getting back the locket; but you see it in the same way now, don't you?”
”Yes; I shouldn't have liked to take money,” Bill said. ”I sees----”
”See,” Mrs. Andrews corrected.
”Thank you. I see things different--differently,” he corrected himself, seeing that George was about to speak, ”to what I did then.”
”Now, mother,” George said, ”let us open the basket; it's almost as big as a clothes-basket, isn't it?”
The cover was lifted and the contents, which had after much thought been settled by Nelly herself, were disclosed. There were two bottles of port-wine, a large mold of jelly, a great cake, two dozen oranges, some apples, a box of preserved fruit, some almonds and raisins, two packets of Everton toffee, a dozen mince-pies, and four pots of black-currant jelly, on the cover of one of which was written in a sprawling hand, ”Two teaspoonfuls stirred up in a tumbler of water for a drink at night.”
”This will make a grand feast, mother; what a jolly collection, isn't it? I think Miss Penrose must have chosen it herself, don't you?”
”It certainly looks like it, George,” Mrs. Andrews replied, smiling.
”I do not think any grownup person would have chosen mince-pies and toffee as appropriate for sick boys.”
”Yes; but she must have known we were not badly burned, mother; and besides, you see, she put in currant-jelly to make drinks, and there are the oranges too. I vote that we have an orange and some toffee at once, Bill.”
”I have tasted oranges,” Bill said, ”lots of them in the market, but I never tasted toffee.”
”It's first-rate, I can tell you.”
”Why, they look like bits of tin,” Bill said as the packet was opened.
George burst into a laugh.
”That's tin-foil, that's only to wrap it up; you peel that off, Bill, and you will find the toffee inside. Now, mother, you have a gla.s.s of wine and a piece of cake.”
”I will have a piece of cake, George; but I am not going to open the wine. We will put that by in case of illness or of any very extraordinary occasion.”
”I am glad the other things won't keep, mother, or I expect you would be wanting to put them all away. Isn't this toffee good, Bill?”
”First-rate,” Bill agreed. ”What is it made of?”
”Sugar and b.u.t.ter melted together over the fire.”
”You are like two children,” Mrs. Andrews laughed, ”instead of boys getting on for sixteen years old. Now I must clear this table again and get to work; I promised these four bonnets should be sent in to-morrow morning, and there's lots to be done to them yet.”
It was three weeks before the boys were able to go to work again. The foreman came round on Sat.u.r.days with their wages. Mr. Penrose called again; this time they were out, but he chatted for some time with Mrs.
Andrews.