Part 19 (2/2)
said Evelyn.
”I am sorry, Miss Wynford, but her ladys.h.i.+p's orders are that I am to attend to your wardrobe. Perhaps you will allow me to do your hair and put on your dress at once, as her ladys.h.i.+p wants me to go to her a little later.”
”You will do nothing of the kind. I will dress myself now that Jasper has gone.”
”And a good thing too, miss. Young ladies ought always to make themselves useful. The more you know, the better off you will be; that is my opinion.”
Evelyn looked full up at Read. Read had a kindly face, calm blue eyes, a firm, imperturbable sort of mouth. She wore her hair very neatly banded on each side of her head. Her dress was perfectly immaculate. There was nothing out of place; she looked, in short, like the very soul of order.
”Do you know who I am?” was Evelyn's remark.
”Certainly I do, Miss Wynford.”
”Please tell me.”
The glimmer of a smile flitted across Read's calm mouth.
”You are a young lady from Tasmania, niece to the Squire, and you have come over here to be educated with Miss Audrey-bless her!”
”Is that all you know!” said Evelyn. ”Then I will tell you more. There will come a day when your Miss Audrey will have nothing to do with the Castle, and when I shall have everything to do with it. I am to be mistress here any day, whenever my uncle dies.”
”My dear Miss Wynford, don't speak like that! The Squire is safe to live, Providence permitting, for many a long year.”
Evelyn sat down again.
”I think my aunt, Lady Frances, one of the cruellest women in the world,” she continued. ”Now you know what I think, and you can tell her, you nasty cross-patch. You can go away and tell her at once. I longed to say so to her face when I was out driving to-day, but she has got the upper hand of me, although she is not going to keep it. I don't want you to help me; I hate you nearly as much as I hate her!”
Read looked as though she did not hear a single remark that Evelyn made.
She crossed the room, and presently returned with a can of hot water and poured some into a basin.
”Now, miss,” she said, ”if you will wash your face and hands, I will arrange your hair.”
There was something in her tone which reduced Evelyn to silence.
”Did you not hear what I said?” she remarked after a minute.
”No, miss; it may be more truthful to say I did not. When young ladies talk silly, naughty words I have a 'abit of shutting up my ears; so it ain't no manner of use to talk on to me, miss, for I don't hear, and I won't hear, and that is flat. If you will come now, like a good little lady, and allow yourself to be dressed, I have a bit of a surprise for you; but you will not know about it before your toilet is complete.”
”A bit of a surprise!” said Evelyn, who was intensely curious. ”What in the world can it be?”
”I will tell you when you are dressed, miss; and I must ask you to hurry, for my mistress is waiting for me.”
If Evelyn had one overweening failing more than another, it was inordinate curiosity. She rose, therefore, and submitted with a very bad grace to Read's manipulations. Her face and hands were washed, and Read proceeded to brush out the scanty flaxen locks.
”Are you not going to pile my hair on the top of my head?” asked the little girl.
”Oh dear, no, Miss Wynford; that ain't at all the way little ladies of your age wear their hair.”
”I always wore it like that when I was in Tasmania with mothery!”
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