Part 20 (1/2)

One day she had studied and spelled four mortal hours, when a visitor was suddenly announced--Miss Dodd. That young lady came briskly in at the heels of the servant and caught Lucy at her work. After the first greeting, her eye rested with such undisguised curiosity on the ”mouldy records” that Lucy told her in general terms what she was trying to do for her uncle. ”La!” said Eve, ”you will ruin your eye-sight; why not send them over to us? I will make David read them.”

”And his eyesight?”

”Oh, bless you, he has a knack at reading old writing. He has made a study of it.”

”If I thought I was not presuming too far on Mr. Dodd's good nature, I would send one or two of them.”

”Do; and I will make him draw up a paper of the contents; I have seen him at this sort of work before now. But there, la! I suppose you know it is all vanity.”

”I do it to please my poor uncle.”

”And very good you are. But what the better will the poor old gentleman be? We are here to act our own part well; we can't ride up to heaven on our great-grandfather.”

These maxims were somewhat coldly received, so Eve s.h.i.+fted her ground.

”After all, I don't know why I should be the one to say that, for my own name is older than your uncle's a pretty deal.”

Lucy looked puzzled; then suddenly fancying she had caught Eve's meaning, she said: ”That is true. Hail mother of mankind!!” and bowed her head with graceful reverence.

Eve stared and colored, not knowing what on earth her companion meant.

I am afraid it must be owned that Eve steadily eschewed books and always had. What little book-learning she had came to her filtered through David, and by this channel she accepted it willingly, even sought it at odd times, when there was no bread, pudding, dress, theology, scandal, or fun going on. She turned it off by a sudden inquiry where Mr. Fountain was; ”they told me in the village he was away.” Now several circ.u.mstances combined to make Lucy more communicative than usual. First, she had been studying hard; and, after long study, when a lively person comes to us, it is a great incitement to talk. Pitiful by nature, I spare you the ”bent bow.”

Secondly, she was a little anxious lest her uncle's sudden neglect should have mortified Miss Dodd, and a neutral topic handled at length tends to replace friendly feeling without direct and unpleasant explanations. She therefore answered every question in full; told her that her uncle had lost a dear friend; that he was executor and guardian to the poor boy, now entirely an orphan. Her uncle, with his usual zeal on behalf of his friends; had gone off at once, and doubtless would not return till he had fulfilled in every respect the wishes of the deceased.

To this general sketch she added many details, suppressing the misanthropy Mr. Fountain had exhibited or affected at the first receipt of the intelligence.

In short, angelic gossip. Earthly gossip always backbites, you know.

Eve missed something somehow, no doubt the human or backbiting element; still, it was gossip, sacred gossip, far dearer than Shakespeare to the female heart, and Eve's eyes glowed with pleasure and her tongue plied eager questions.

With all this, such instinctive artists are these delicate creatures, both these ladies were secretly in ambush, Lucy to learn whether Eve and David were hurt or surprised at not being invited of late, and why she and he had not called since; Eve to find out what was the cause David and she had been so suddenly dropped: was it Lucy's doing or whose?

Each lady being bent on receiving, not on making revelations, nothing transpired on either side. Seeing this, Eve became impatient and made a bold move.

”Miss Fountain,” said she, ”you are all alone. I wish you would come over to us this evening and have tea.”

Lucy did not immediately reply. Eve saw her hesitation. ”It is but a poor place,” said she, ”to ask you to.”

”I will come,” said the lady, directly. ”I will come with great pleasure.”

”Will seven be too early for you?”

”Oh, no, I don't dine now my uncle is away. I call luncheon dinner.”

”Perhaps, six, then?”

”Pray let me come at your usual hour. Why derange your family for one person?” Six o'clock was settled.

”I must take some of this rubbish with me,” said Eve; ”come along, my dears”; and with an ample and mock enthusiastic gesture she caught up an armful of ma.n.u.scripts.

”The servant shall take them over for you.”