Volume I Part 56 (2/2)
Poor Fleda's nerves bade her ”go away.” The people looked like their house. The princ.i.p.al woman, who remained standing, broom in hand, to hear Fleda's business, was, in good truth, a dark personage ? her head covered with black hair, her person with a dingy black calico, and a sullen cloud lowering over her eye. At the corner of the fireplace was an old woman, laid by in an easy-chair; disabled, it was plain, not from mental but bodily infirmity; for her face had a cast of mischief which could not stand with the innocence of second childhood. At the other corner sat an elderly woman sewing, with tokens of her trade for yards on the floor around her. Back at the far side of the room, a young man was eating his supper at the table, alone; and under the table, on the floor, the enormous family bread-trough was unwontedly filled with the sewing-woman's child, which had with superhuman efforts crawled into it, and lay kicking and crowing in delight at its new cradle. Fleda did not know how to enter upon her business.
”I have been looking,” she began, ”for a person who is willing to go out to work. Miss Flora Quackenboss told me perhaps I might find somebody here.”
”Somebody to help?” said the woman, beginning to use her broom upon the hearth. ”Who wants 'em?”
”Mrs. Rossitur ? my aunt.”
”Mrs. Rossitur? ? what, down to old Squire Ringgan's place?”
”Yes. We are left alone, and want somebody very much.”
”Do you want her only a few days, or do you calculate to have her stop longer? because you know it wouldn't be worth the while to put oneself out for a week.”
”Oh, we want her to stay; if we suit each other.”
”Well, I don't know,” said the woman, going on with her sweeping. ”I could let you have Hannah, but I 'spect I'll want her to hum. What does Mis' Rossitur calculate to give?”
”I don't know ? anything that's reasonable.”
”Hannah kin go ? just as good as not,” said the old woman in the corner, rubbing her hands up and down her lap ? ”Hannah kin go, ? just as good as not!”
”Hannah ain't a-going,” said the first speaker, answering without looking at her. ”Hannah 'll be wanted to hum; and she aint a well girl neither; she's kind o' weak in her muscles; and I calculate you'll want somebody that call take hold lively. There's Lucy, if she took a notion, she could go ? but she'd please herself about it. She wont do nothing without she has a notion.”
This was inconclusive, and desiring to bring matters to a point, Fleda, after a pause, asked if this lady thought Lucy would have a notion to go.
”Well, I can't say ? she ain't to hum, or you could ask her.
She's down to Mis' Dougla.s.s's, working for her to-day. Do you know Mis' Dougla.s.s? ? Earl Dougla.s.s's wife?”
”O yes, I knew her long ago,” said Fleda, thinking it might be as well to throw in a spice of ingratiation. ”I am Fleda Ringgan. I used to live here with my grandfather.”
”Don't say! Well, I thought you had a kind o' look ? the old Squire's granddarter, ain't you?”
”She looks like her father,” said the sewing-woman, laying down her needle, which indeed had been little hindrance to her admiration since Fleda came in.
”She's a real pretty gal,” said the old woman in the corner.
”He was as smart a looking man as there was in Queechy towns.h.i.+p, or Montepoole either,” the sewing-woman went on, ”Do you mind him, Flidda?”
”Anastasy,” said the old woman aside, ”let Hannah go!”
”Hannah's a-going to keep to hum ? Well, about Lucy,” she said, as Fleda rose to go ? ”I can't just say ? suppos'n you come here to-morrow afternoon ? there's a few coming to quilt ? and Lucy 'll be to hum then. I should admire to have you, and then you and Lucy can agree what you'll fix upon. You can get somebody to bring you, can't you?”
Fleda inwardly shrank, but managed to get off with thanks, and without making a positive promise, which Miss Anastasia would fain have had. She was glad to be out of the house, and driving off with Hugh.
”How delicious the open air feels!”
”What has this visit produced?” said Hugh.
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