Volume I Part 58 (1/2)
”She lives like one, don't she?” said aunt Syra.
Which imputation Fleda also refuted to the best of her power.
”Well, don't she have dinner in the middle of the afternoon?”
pursued aunt Syra.
Fleda was obliged to admit that.
”And she can't eat without she has a fresh piece of roast meat on table every day, can she?”
”It is not always roast,” said Fleda, half vexed and half laughing.
”I'd rather have a good dish o' bread and 'la.s.ses, than the hull on't,” observed old Mrs. Finn, from the corner where she sat, manifestly turning up her nose at the far-off joints on Mrs. Rossitur's dinner-table.
The girls on the other side of the quilt again held counsel together, deep and low.
”Well, didn't she pick up all them notions in that place yonder? ? where you say she has been?” aunt Syra went on.
”No,” said Fleda; ”everybody does so in New York.”
”I want to know what kind of a place New York is, now,” said old Mrs. Finn, drawlingly. ”I s'pose it's pretty big, aint it?”
Fleda replied that it was.
”I shouldn't wonder if it was a'most as far as from here to Queechy Run, now; aint it?”
The distance mentioned being somewhere about one-eighth of New York's longest diameter, Fleda answered that it was quite as far.
”I s'pose there's plenty o' mighty rich folks there, aint there?”
”Plenty, I believe,” said Fleda.
”I should hate to live in it awfully,” was the old woman's conclusion.
”I should admire to travel in many countries,” said Miss Lucy, for the first time seeming to intend her words particularly for Fleda's ear. ”I think nothing makes people more genteel. I have observed it frequently.”
Fleda said it was very pleasant; but though encouraged by this opening, could not muster enough courage to ask if Miss Lucy had a ”notion” to come and prove their gentility. Her next question was startling ? if Fleda had ever studied mathematics.
”No,” said Fleda. ”Have you?”
”O my, yes! There was a lot of us concluded we would learn it; and we commenced to study it a long time ago. I think it's a most elevating ?”
The discussion was suddenly broken off, for the sewing-woman exclaimed, as the other sister came in and took her seat ?
”Why, Hannah! you ha'n't been makin' bread with that clock on your hands!”
”Well, Mis' Barnes!” said the girl; ”I've washed 'em, and I've made bread with 'em, and even that did not take it off!”
”Do you look at the stars, too, Hannah?” said Mrs. Dougla.s.s.
Amidst a small hubbub of laugh and talk which now became general, poor Fleda fell back upon one single thought, one wish ? that Hugh would come to fetch her home before tea-time.
But it was a vain hope. Hugh was not to be there till sundown, and supper was announced long before that. They all filed down, and Fleda with them, to the great kitchen below stairs; and she found herself placed in the seat of honour indeed, but an honour she would gladly have escaped, at Miss Anastasia's right hand.
A temporary locked-jaw would have been felt a blessing. Fleda dared hardly even look about her; but under the eye of her hostess the instinct of good breeding was found sufficient to swallow everything, literally and figuratively. There was a good deal to swallow. The usual variety of cakes, sweetmeats, beef, cheese, biscuits, and pies, was set out with some peculiarity of arrangement which Fleda had never seen before, and which left that of Miss Quackenboss elegant by comparison.