Volume I Part 61 (1/2)
”Well, I don't mind the things I had ought to most,” said Barby, in a subdued voice ? ”never! ? 'cept mother ? I aint very apt to forget her.”
Mrs. Plumfield saw a tell-tale glittering beneath the drooping eyelid. She added no more but a sympathetic strong squeeze of the hand she held, and turned to follow Fleda who had gone on ahead.
”Mis' Plumfield,” said Barby, before they had reached the stile that led into the road, where Fleda was standing, ”will I be sure of having the money regular down yonder? You know, I hadn't ought to go otherways, on account of mother.”
”Yes, it will be sure,” said Mrs. Plumfield, ”and regular;”
adding quietly, ”I'll make it so.”
There was a bond for the whole amount in aunt Miriam's eyes; and, quite satisfied, Barby went back to the house.
”Will she expect to come to our table, aunt Miriam'? said Fleda, when they had walked a little way.
”No, she will not expect that; but Barby will want a different kind of managing from those Irish women of yours. She wont bear to be spoken to in a way that don't suit her notions of what she thinks she deserves; and perhaps your aunt and uncle will think her notions rather high ? I don't know.”
”There is no difficulty with aunt Lucy,” said Fleda; ”and I guess I can manage uncle Rolf ? I'll try. _I_ like her very much.”
”Barby is very poor,” said Mrs. Plumfield; ”she has nothing but her own earnings to support herself and her old mother, and now, I suppose, her sister and her child; for Hetty is a poor thing ? never did much, and now I suppose does nothing.”
”Are those Finns poor, aunt Miriam?”
”O no ? not at all ? they are very well off.”
”So I thought ? they seemed to have plenty of everything, and silver spoons and all. But why then do they go out to work?”
”They are a little too fond of getting money, I expect,” said aunt Miriam. ”And they are a queer sort of people rather ? the mother is queer, and the children are queer ? they aint like other folks exactly ? never were.”
”I am very glad we are to have Barby, instead of that Lucy Finn,” said Fleda. ”Oh, aunt Miriam! you can't think how much easier my heart feels.”
”Poor child!” said aunt Miriam, looking at her. ”But it isn't best, Fleda, to have things work too smooth in this world.”
”No, I suppose not,” said Fleda, sighing. ”Isn't it very strange, aunt Miriam, that it should make people worse instead of better to have everything go pleasantly with them?”
”It is because they are apt then to be so full of the present, that they forget the care of the future.”
”Yes, and forget there is anything better than the present, I suppose,” said Fleda.
”So we mustn't fret at the ways our Father takes to keep us from hurting ourselves,” said aunt Miriam, cheerfully.
”O no!” said Fleda, looking up brightly, in answer to the tender manner in which these words were spoken; ? ”and I didn't mean that _this_ is much of a trouble ? only I am very glad to think that somebody is coming to-morrow.”
Aunt Miriam thought that gentle unfretful face could not stand in need of much discipline.
CHAPTER XXI.
”Wise men alway Affyrme and say, That best is for a man Diligently, For to apply, The business that he can.” ? MORE
Fleda waited for Barby's coming the next day with a little anxiety. The introduction and installation, however, were happily got over. Mrs. Rossitur, as Fleda knew, was most easily pleased, and Barby Elster's quick eye was satisfied with the unaffected and universal gentleness and politeness of her new employer. She made herself at home in half an hour; and Mrs. Rossitur and Fleda were comforted to perceive, by unmistakable signs, that their presence was not needed in the kitchen, and they might retire to their own premises and forget there was another part of the house. Fleda had forgotten it utterly, and deliciously enjoying the rest of mind and body, she was stretched upon the sofa, luxuriating over some volume from her remnant of a library, when the inner door was suddenly pushed open far enough to admit of the entrance of Miss Elster's head.