Part 16 (1/2)

”I'll be back again directly,” she whispered. ”I want to speak to Esau.”

She was back directly, and Mrs John held out her hand to her.

”Thank you, thank you so very much,” she whispered. ”I am so sorry to have given you all this trouble.”

Mrs Dean laughed.

”Trouble!” she said, merrily; ”as if it was trouble for one woman to help another. I mean a lady,” she said, colouring.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Mrs John said--

”I thought I must come down to see Mayne. Has he told you of his wish to go with us to the West?”

”Told me?” cried Mrs Dean, excitedly. ”Ah, now you are talking about trouble indeed.”

”We came down to tell him that it is impossible--foolish of him to think of such a thing.”

”Oh, thank you kindly, ma'am,” cried Mrs Dean; ”and me thinking all kinds of evil of you, and that you had been persuading him to go.”

”No, no, my good woman, no,” said Mr John.

”And thank you too, sir. And I hope Mr Gordon will take it to heart, for if he had gone my Esau would have been sure to go too, and I should have seemed to be quite alone in the world.”

”Yes, it would be hard for you,” said Mrs John, looking at her searchingly. ”Mayne, my dear, you will not try and influence her son?”

I shook my head.

”Oh, but he don't, ma'am, never,” said Mrs Dean, eagerly; ”he crosses him; but my Esau always sets Mr Gordon here up for a hidle, and thinks whatever he does must be right.”

”Why, Mayne,” said Mr John, smiling, ”I did not know you were such a model boy.”

”Oh, but he is, sir,” cried Mrs Dean; ”and my Esau is ever so much better since--”

”I'm going for a walk,” I said, with my face scarlet.

But just then there was a tap at the door, to which Mrs Dean responded, and came back directly with a little tray, on which was her favourite black teapot and its companions.

”I'm afraid, ma'am, it isn't such tea as you're used to, but I thought a cup--and my boy Esau got it ready.”

Mrs John gave her a grateful look, and soon after, very much refreshed, she quite sat up, Mrs Dean helping her to a chair.

”But oh, my dear,” she said, ”you're so weak and thin; you're not fit to take a long voyage and a journey such as Mr Gordon talked about.”

”If I stay in England I shall die,” said Mrs John, sadly.

”Oh, don't say that, my--ma'am. But are you going alone?”

”No; with my husband.”

”And soon?”