_Gadsby._ Sirrah carrier, what time do you mean to come to London?
_2nd Car._ Time enough to go to bed with a candle, I warrant thee.
--KING HENRY IV.
Ellen had been whirled along over the roads for so many hours,--the
rattle of the stage-coach had filled her ears for so long,--that now,
suddenly still and quiet, she felt half stunned. She stood with a kind
of dreamy feeling, looking after the departing stage-coach. In it there
were three people whose faces she knew, and she could not count a fourth
within many a mile. One of those was a friend, too, as the fluttering
handkerchief of poor Miss Timmins gave token still. Yet Ellen did not
wish herself back in the coach, although she continued to stand and gaze
after it as it rattled off at a great rate down the little street, its
huge body lumbering up and down every now and then, reminding her of
sundry uncomfortable jolts; till the horses making a sudden turn to the
right, it disappeared round a corner. Still for a minute Ellen watched
the whirling cloud of dust it had left behind; but then the feeling of
strangeness and loneliness came over her, and her heart sank. She cast a
look up and down the street. The afternoon was lovely; the slant beams
of the setting sun came back from gilded windows, and the houses and
chimney-tops of the little town were in a glow; but she saw nothing
bright anywhere--in all the glory of the setting sun the little town
looked strange and miserable. There was no sign of her having been
expected; nobody was waiting to meet her. What was to be done next?
Ellen had not the slightest idea.
Her heart growing fainter and fainter, she turned again to the inn. A
tall, awkward young countryman, with a cap set on one side of his head,
was busying himself with sweeping the floor of the piazza, but in a very
leisurely manner; and between every two strokes of his broom he was
casting long looks at Ellen, evidently wondering who she was and what
she could want there. Ellen saw it, and hoped he would ask her in words,
for she could not answer his _looks_ of curiosity, but she was
disappointed. As he reached the end of the piazza, and gave his broom
two or three knocks against the edge of the boards to clear it of dust,
he indulged himself with one good long finishing look at Ellen, and then
she saw he was going to take himself and his broom into the house. So in
despair she ran up the two or three low steps of the piazza and
presented herself before him. He stopped short.
"Will you please to tell me, sir," said poor Ellen, "if Miss Emerson is
here?"
"Miss Emerson?" said he; "what Miss Emerson?"
"I don't know, sir; Miss Emerson that lives not far from Thirlwall."
Eyeing Ellen from head to foot, the man then trailed his broom into the
house. Ellen followed him.
"Mr. Forbes!" said he, "Mr. Forbes! do you know anything of Miss
Emerson?"
"What Miss Emerson?" said another man, with a big red face and a big
round body, showing himself in a doorway which he nearly filled.
"Miss Emerson that lives a little way out of town."
"Miss Fortune Emerson? yes, I know her. What of her?"
"Has she been here to-day?"
"Here? what, in town? No, not as I've seen or heard. Why, who wants
her?"
"This little girl."
And the man with the broom stepping back, disclosed Ellen to the view of
the red-faced landlord. He advanced a step or two towards her.
"What do you want with Miss Fortune, little one?" said he.
"I expected she would meet me here, sir," said Ellen.
"Where have you come from?"
"From New York."
"The stage set her down just now," put in the other man.
"And you thought Miss Fortune would meet you, did you?"
"Yes, sir; she was to meet me and take me home."
"Take you home? Are you going to Miss Fortune's home?"
"Yes, sir."
"Why, you don't belong to her any way, do you?"
"No, sir," said Ellen, "but she's my aunt."
"She's your what?"
"My aunt, sir; my father's sister."
"Your father's sister! You ben't the daughter of Morgan Montgomery, be
you?"
"Yes, I am," said Ellen, half-smiling.
"And you are come to make a visit to Miss Fortune, eh?"
"Yes," said Ellen, smiling no longer.
"And Miss Fortune ha'n't come up to meet you; that's real shabby of her;
and how to get you down there to-night, I am sure it is more than I can
tell." And he shouted, "Wife!"
"What's the matter, Mr. Forbes?" said a fat landlady, appearing in the
doorway, which she filled near as well as her husband would have done.
"Look here," said Mr. Forbes, "here's Morgan Montgomery's daughter come
to pay a visit to her aunt, Fortune Emerson. Don't you think she'll be
glad to see her?"
Mr. Forbes put this question with rather a curious look at his wife. She
didn't answer him. She only looked at Ellen, looked grave, and gave a
queer little nod of her head, which meant, Ellen could not make out
what.
"Now, what's to be done?" continued Mr. Forbes. "Miss Fortune was to
have come up to meet her, but she ain't here, and I don't know how in
the world I can take the child down there to-night. The horses are both
out to plough, you know; and besides, the tire is come off that waggon
wheel. I couldn't possibly use it. And then it's a great question in my
mind what Miss Fortune would say to me. I should get paid, I s'pose?"
"Yes, you'd get paid," said his wife, with another little shake of her
head; "but whether it would be the kind of pay you'd like, _I_ don't
know."
"Well, what's to be done, wife? Keep the child over night, and send word
down yonder?"
"No," said Mrs. Forbes, "I'll tell you. I think I saw Van Brunt go by
two or three hours ago with the ox-cart, and I guess he's somewhere up
town yet; I ha'n't seen him go back. He can take the child home with
him. Sam!" shouted Mrs. Forbes; "Sam! here!--Sam, run up street
directly, and see if you see Mr. Van Brunt's ox-cart standing
anywhere--I dare say he's at Mr. Miller's, or may be at Mr. Hammersley's
the blacksmith--and ask him to stop here before he goes home. Now hurry!
and don't run over him and then come back and tell me he ain't in
town."
Mrs. Forbes herself followed Sam to the door, and cast an exploring look
in every direction.
"I don't see no signs of him--up nor down," said she, returning to
Ellen; "but I'm pretty sure he ain't gone home. Come in here; come in
here, dear, and make yourself comfortable; it'll be a while yet maybe
afore Mr. Van Brunt comes, but he'll be along by-and-by;--come in here
and rest yourself."
She opened a door, and Ellen followed her into a large kitchen, where a
fire was burning that showed wood must be plenty in those regions. Mrs.
Forbes placed a low chair for her on the hearth, but herself remained
standing by the side of the fire, looking earnestly and with a good deal
of interest upon the little stranger. Ellen drew her white bonnet from
her head, and sitting down with a wearied air, gazed sadly into the
flames that were shedding their light upon her.
"Are you going to stop a good while with Miss Fortune?" said Mrs.
Forbes.
"I don't know, ma'am,--yes, I believe so," said Ellen faintly.
"Ha'n't you got no mother?" asked Mrs. Forbes suddenly, after a pause.
"Oh yes!" said Ellen, looking up. But the question had touched the sore
spot. Her head sank on her hands, and "Oh, mamma!" was uttered with a
bitterness that even Mrs. Forbes could feel.
"Now what made me ask you that!" said she. "Don't cry!--don't, love;
poor little dear; you're as pale as a sheet; you're tired, I know--ain't
you; now cheer up, do,--I can't bear to see you cry. You've come a great
ways to-day, ha'n't you?"
Ellen nodded her head, but could give no answer.
"I know what will do you good," said Mrs. Forbes presently, getting up
from the crouching posture she had taken to comfort Ellen; "you want
something to eat,--that's the matter. I'll warrant you're half starved;
no wonder you feel bad. Poor little thing! you shall have something good
directly."
And away she bustled to get it. Left alone, Ellen's tears flowed a few
minutes very fast. She felt forlorn; and she was besides, as Mrs. Forbes
opined, both tired and faint. But she did not wish to be found weeping,
she checked her tears, and was sitting again quietly before the fire
when the landlady returned.
Mrs. Forbes had a great bowl of milk in one hand, and a plate of bread
in the other, which she placed on the kitchen table, and setting a
chair, called Ellen to come and partake of it.
"Come, dear,--here is something that will do you good. I thought there
was a piece of pie in the buttery, and so there was, but Mr. Forbes
must have got hold of it, for it ain't there now; and there ain't a bit
of cake in the house for you; but I thought maybe you would like this as
well as anything. Come!"
Ellen thanked her, but said she did not want anything.
"Oh yes, you do," said Mrs. Forbes; "I know better. You're as pale as I
don't know what. Come! this'll put roses in your cheek. Don't you like
bread and milk?"
"Yes, very much indeed, ma'am," said Ellen, "but I'm not hungry." She
rose, however, and came to the table.
"Oh, well, try to eat a bit just to please me. It's real good country
milk--not a bit of cream off. You don't get such milk as that in the
city, I guess. That's right! I see the roses coming back to your cheeks
already. Is your pa in New York now?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"You expect your pa and ma up to Thirlwall by-and-by, don't you?"
"No, ma'am."
Mrs. Forbes was surprised, and longed to ask why not, and what Ellen had
come for; but the shade that had passed over her face as she answered
the last question warned the landlady she was getting upon dangerous
ground.
"Does your aunt expect you to-night?"
"I believe so, ma'am,--I don't know,--she was to have met me; papa said
he would write."
"Oh, well! maybe something hindered her from coming. It's no matter;
you'll get home just as well. Mr. Van Brunt will be here soon, I guess;
it's most time for him to be along."
She went to the front door to look out for him, but returned without any
news. A few minutes passed in silence, for though full of curiosity, the
good landlady dared not ask what she wanted to know, for fear of again
exciting the sorrow of her little companion. She contented herself with
looking at Ellen, who on her part, much rested and refreshed, had turned
from the table, and was again, though somewhat less sadly, gazing into
the fire.
Presently the great wooden clock struck half-past five, with a whirling
rickety voice, for all the world like a horse grasshopper. Ellen at
first wondered where it came from, and was looking at the clumsy machine
that reached nearly from the floor of the kitchen to the ceiling, when a
door at the other end of the room opened, and "Good day, Mrs. Forbes,"
in a rough but not unpleasant voice, brought her head quickly round in
that direction. There stood a large, strong-built man, with an ox-whip
in his hand. He was well-made and rather handsome, but there was
something of heaviness in the air of both face and person mixed with
his certainly good-humoured expression. His dress was as rough as his
voice--a grey frock-coat, green velveteen pantaloons, and a fur cap that
had seen its best days some time ago.
"Good day, Mrs. Forbes," said this personage; "Sam said you wanted me to
stop as I went along."
"Ah, how d'ye do, Mr. Van Brunt?" said the landlady, rising; "you've got
the ox-cart with you, ha'n't you?"
"Yes, I've got the ox-cart," said the person addressed. "I came in town
for a barrel of flour, and then the near ox had lost both his fore shoes
off, and I had to go over there, and Hammersley has kept me a precious
long time. What's wanting, Mrs. Forbes? I can't stop."
"You've no load in the cart, have you?" said the landlady.
"No; I should have had though, but Miller had no shorts nor fresh flour,
nor won't till next week. What's to go down, Mrs. Forbes?"
"The nicest load ever you carried, Mr. Van Brunt. Here's a little lady
come to stay with Miss Fortune. She's a daughter of Captain Montgomery,
Miss Fortune's brother, you know. She came by the stage a little while
ago, and the thing is how to get her down to-night. She can go in the
cart, can't she?"
Mr. Van Brunt looked a little doubtful, and pulling off his cap with one
hand, while he scratched his head with the other, he examined Ellen from
head to foot; much as if she had been some great bale of goods, and he
were considering whether his cart would hold her or not.
"Well," said he at length, "I don't know but she can; but there ain't
nothing on 'arth for her to sit down upon?"
"Oh, never mind; I'll fix that," said Mrs. Forbes. "Is there any straw
in the bottom of the cart?"
"Not a bit."
"Well, I'll fix it," said Mrs. Forbes. "You get her trunk into the cart,
will you, Mr. Van Brunt? and I'll see to the rest."
Mr. Van Brunt moved off without another word to do what was desired of
him,--apparently quite confounded at having a passenger instead of his
more wonted load of bags and barrels. And his face still continued to
wear the singular, doubtful expression it had put on at first hearing
the news. Ellen's trunk was quickly hoisted in, however; and Mrs. Forbes
presently appeared with a little armchair, which Mr. Van Brunt with an
approving look bestowed in the cart, planting it with its back against
the trunk to keep it steady. Mrs. Forbes then, raising herself on tiptoe
by the side of the cart, took a view of the arrangements.
"That won't do yet," said she; "her feet will be cold on that bare
floor, and 'tain't over clean, neither. Here, Sally! run up and fetch
me that piece of carpet you'll find lying at the top of the back-stairs.
Now, hurry! Now, Mr. Van Brunt, I depend upon you to get my things back
again; will you see and bring 'em the first time you come in town?"
"I'll see about it. But what if I can't get hold of them?" answered the
person addressed, with a half smile.
"Oh," said Mrs. Forbes, with another, "I leave that to you; you have
your ways and means. Now, just spread this carpet down nicely under her
chair, and then she'll be fixed. Now, my darling, you'll ride like a
queen. But how are you going to get in? Will you let Mr. Van Brunt lift
you up?"
Ellen's "Oh no, ma'am, if you please!" was accompanied with such an
evident shrinking from the proposal, that Mrs. Forbes did not press it.
A chair was brought from the kitchen, and by making a long step from it
to the top of the wheel, and then to the edge of the cart, Ellen was at
length safely stowed in her place. Kind Mrs. Forbes then stretched
herself up over the side of the cart to shake hands with her and bid her
good-bye, telling her again she would ride like a queen. Ellen answered
only "Good-bye, ma'am;" but it was said with a look of so much
sweetness, and eyes swimming half in sadness and half in gratefulness,
that the good landlady could not forget it.
"I do think," said she, when she went back to her husband, "that is the
dearest little thing, about, I ever did see."
"Humph!" said her husband, "I reckon Miss Fortune will think so too."
The doubtful look came back to Mrs. Forbes' face, and with another
little grave shake of her head she went into the kitchen.
"How kind she is! how good everybody is to me!" thought little Ellen, as
she moved off in state in her chariot drawn by oxen. Quite a contrast
this new way of travelling was to the noisy stage and swift steamer.
Ellen did not know at first whether to like or dislike it; but she came
to the conclusion that it was very funny, and a remarkably amusing way
of getting along. There was one disadvantage about it certainly,--their
rate of travel was very slow. Ellen wondered her charioteer did not make
his animals go faster; but she soon forgot their lazy progress in the
interest of novel sights and new scenes.
Slowly, very slowly, the good oxen drew the cart and the little queen in
the arm-chair out of the town, and they entered upon the open country.
The sun had already gone down when they left the inn, and the glow of
his setting had faded a good deal by the time they got quite out of the
town; but light enough was left still to delight Ellen with the pleasant
look of the country. It was a lovely evening, and quiet as summer; not
a breath stirring. The leaves were all off the trees; the hills were
brown; but the soft warm light that still lingered upon them forbade any
look of harshness or dreariness. These hills lay towards the west, and
at Thirlwall were not more than two miles distant, but sloping off more
to the west as the range extended in a southerly direction. Between, the
ground was beautifully broken. Rich fields and meadows lay on all sides,
sometimes level, and sometimes with a soft, wavy surface, where Ellen
thought it must be charming to run up and down. Every now and then these
were varied by a little rising ground capped with a piece of woodland;
and beautiful trees, many of them, were seen standing alone, especially
by the roadside. All had a cheerful, pleasant look. The houses were very
scattered; in the whole way they passed but few. Ellen's heart regularly
began to beat when they came in sight of one, and "I wonder if that is
Aunt Fortune's house!"--"Perhaps it is!"--or "I hope it is not!" were
the thoughts that rose in her mind. But slowly the oxen brought her
abreast of the houses, one after another, and slowly they passed on
beyond, and there was no sign of getting home yet. Their way was through
pleasant lanes towards the south, but constantly approaching the hills.
About half a mile from Thirlwall they crossed a little river, not more
than thirty yards broad, and after that the twilight deepened fast. The
shades gathered on field and hill; everything grew brown, and then
dusky; and then Ellen was obliged to content herself with what was very
near, for further than that she could only see the outlines. She began
again to think of their slow travelling, and to wonder that Mr. Van
Brunt could be content with it. She wondered too what made him walk,
when he might just as well have sat in the cart; the truth was he had
chosen that for the purpose that he might have a good look at the little
queen in the arm-chair. Apparently, however, he too now thought it might
be as well to make a little haste, for he thundered out some orders to
his oxen, accompanied with two or three strokes of his heavy lash,
which, though not cruel by any means, went to Ellen's heart.
"Them lazy critters won't go fast anyhow," said he to Ellen, "they will
take their own time; it ain't no use to cut them."
"Oh no! pray don't, if you please!" said Ellen in a voice of earnest
entreaty.
"'Tain't fair, neither," continued Mr. Van Brunt, lashing his great whip
from side to side without touching anything. "I have seen critters that
would take any quantity of whipping to make them go, but them 'ere ain't
of that kind; they'll work as long as they can stand, poor fellows!"
There was a little silence, during which Ellen eyed her rough
charioteer, not knowing exactly what to make of him.
"I guess this is the first time you ever rid in an ox-cart, ain't it?"
"Yes," said Ellen; "I never saw one before."
"Ha'n't you never seen an ox-cart! Well, how do you like it?"
"I like it very much indeed. Have we much further to go before we get to
Aunt Fortune's house?"
"'Aunt Fortune's house!' a pretty good bit yet. You see that mountain
over there?" pointing with his whip to a hill directly west of them, and
about a mile distant.
"Yes," said Ellen.
"That's the Nose. Then you see that other?" pointing to one that lay
some two miles further south; "Miss Fortune's house is just this side of
that; it's all of two miles from here."
And urged by this recollection, he again scolded and cheered the patient
oxen, who for the most part kept on their steady way without any
reminder. But perhaps it was for Ellen's sake that he scarcely touched
them with the whip.
"That don't hurt them, not a bit," he remarked to Ellen, "it only lets
them know that I'm here, and they must mind their business. So you're
Miss Fortune's niece, eh?"
"Yes," said Ellen.
"Well," said Mr. Van Brunt, with a desperate attempt at being
complimentary, "I shouldn't care if you was mine too."
Ellen was somewhat astounded, and so utterly unable to echo the wish,
that she said nothing. She did not know it, but Mr. Van Brunt had made,
for him, most extraordinary efforts at sociability. Having quite
exhausted himself, he now mounted into the cart and sat silent, only now
and then uttering energetic "Gee's!" and "Haw's!" which greatly excited
Ellen's wonderment. She discovered they were meant for the ears of the
oxen, but more than that she could not make out.
They plodded along very slowly, and the evening fell fast. As they left
behind the hill which Mr. Van Brunt had called "the Nose," they could
see, through an opening in the mountains, a bit of the western horizon,
and some brightness still lingering there; but it was soon hid from
view, and darkness veiled the whole country. Ellen could amuse herself
no longer with looking about; she could see nothing very clearly but the
outline of Mr. Van Brunt's broad back, just before her. But the stars
had come out; and, brilliant and clear, they were looking down upon her
with their thousand eyes. Ellen's heart jumped when she saw them with a
mixed feeling of pleasure and sadness. They carried her right back to
the last evening, when she was walking up the hill with Timmins; she
remembered her anger against Mrs. Dunscombe, and her kind friend's
warning not to indulge it, and all his teaching that day; and tears came
with the thought, how glad she should be to hear him speak to her again.
Still looking up at the beautiful quiet stars, she thought of her dear
far-off mother, how long it was already since she had seen her; faster
and faster the tears dropped; and then she thought of that glorious One
who had made the stars, and was above them all, and who could and did
see her mother and her, though ever so far apart, and could hear and
bless them both. The little face was no longer upturned--it was buried
in her hands and bowed to her lap, and tears streamed as she prayed that
God would bless her dear mother and take care of her. Not once nor
twice; the fulness of Ellen's heart could not be poured out in one
asking. Greatly comforted at last at having, as it were, laid over the
care of her mother upon One who was able, she thought of herself and her
late resolution to serve Him. She was in the same mind still. She could
not call herself a Christian yet, but she was resolved to be one; and
she earnestly asked the Saviour she sought to make her and keep her His
child. And then Ellen felt happy.
Quiet, and weariness, and even drowsiness succeeded. It was well the
night was still, for it had grown quite cool, and a breeze would have
gone through and through Ellen's nankeen coat. As it was she began to be
chilly, when Mr. Van Brunt, who, since he had got into the cart, had
made no remarks except to his oxen, turned round a little and spoke to
her again.
"It's only a little bit of way we've got to go now," said he; "we're
turning the corner."
The words seemed to shoot through Ellen's heart. She was wide awake
instantly, and quite warm; and, leaning forward in her little chair, she
strove to pierce the darkness on either hand of her, to see whereabouts
the house stood, and how things looked. She could discern nothing but
misty shadows and outlines of she could not tell what, the starlight was
too dim to reveal anything to a stranger.
"There's the house," said Mr. Van Brunt after a few minutes more; "do
you see it yonder?"
Ellen strained her eyes, but could make out nothing, not even a glimpse
of white. She sat back in her chair, her heart beating violently.
Presently Mr. Van Brunt jumped down and opened a gate at the side of the
road; and with a great deal of "gee"-ing, the oxen turned to the right,
and drew the cart a little way uphill, then stopped on what seemed level
ground.
"Here we are!" cried Mr. Van Brunt, as he threw his whip on the ground,
"and late enough! You must be tired of that little arm-chair by this
time. Come to the side of the cart and I'll lift you down."
Poor Ellen! There was no help for it. She came to the side of the cart,
and taking her in his arms her rough charioteer set her very gently and
carefully on the ground.
"There!" said he, "now you can run right in; do you see that little
gate?"
"No," said Ellen, "I can't see anything."
"Well, come here," said he, "and I'll show you. Here--you're running
agin the fence; this way."
And he opened a little wicket, which Ellen managed to stumble through.
"Now," said he, "go straight up to that door yonder, and open it, and
you'll see where to go. Don't knock, but just pull the latch and go in."
And he went off to his oxen. Ellen at first saw no door, and did not
even know where to look for it; by degrees, as her head became clearer,
the large dark shadow of the house stood before her, and a little
glimmering light of a path seemed to lead onward from where she stood.
With unsteady steps Ellen pursued it till her foot struck against the
stone before the door. Her trembling fingers found the latch, lifted it,
and she entered. All was dark; but at the right a window showed light
glimmering within. Ellen made toward it, and groping, came to another
door-latch. This was big and clumsy; however, she managed it, and
pushing open the heavy door, went in.
It was a good-sized cheerful-looking kitchen. A fine fire was burning in
the enormous fireplace; the white walls and ceiling were yellow in the
light of the flame. No candles were needed, and none were there. The
supper table was set, and with its snow-white tablecloth and shining
furniture, looked very comfortable indeed. But the only person there was
an old woman, sitting by the side of the fire, with her back towards
Ellen. She seemed to be knitting, but did not move nor look round. Ellen
had come a step or two into the room, and there she stood, unable to
speak or to go any further. "Can that be Aunt Fortune?" she thought;
"she can't be as old as that!"
In another minute a door opened at her right, just behind the old
woman's back, and a second figure appeared at the top of a flight of
stairs which led down from the kitchen. She came in, shutting the door
behind her with her foot; and indeed, both hands were full, one holding
a lamp and a knife, and the other a plate of butter. The sight of Ellen
stopped her short.
"What is this? and what do you leave the door open for, child?" she
said.
She advanced towards it, plate and lamp in hand, and setting her back
against the door, shut it vigorously.
"Who are you? and what's wanting?"
"I am Ellen Montgomery, ma'am," said Ellen timidly.
"_What?_" said the lady, with some emphasis.
"Didn't you expect me, ma'am?" said Ellen; "papa said he would write."
"Why, is this Ellen Montgomery?" said Miss Fortune, apparently forced to
the conclusion that it must be.
"Yes, ma'am," said Ellen.
Miss Fortune went to the table and put the butter and the lamp in their
places. "Did you say your father wrote to tell me of your coming?"
"He said he would, ma'am," said Ellen.
"He didn't! Never sent me a line. Just like him! I never yet knew Morgan
Montgomery do a thing when he promised he would."
Ellen's face flushed, and her heart swelled. She stood motionless.
"How did you get down here to-night?"
"I came in Mr. Van Brunt's ox-cart," said Ellen.
"Mr. Van Brunt's ox-cart! Then he's got home, has he?" And hearing at
that instant a noise outside, Miss Fortune swept to the door, saying as
she opened it, "Sit down, child, and take off your things."
The first command at least Ellen obeyed gladly; she did not feel enough
at home to comply with the second. She only took off her bonnet.
"Well, Mr. Van Brunt," said Miss Fortune at the door, "have you brought
me a barrel of flour?"
"No, Miss Fortune," said the voice of Ellen's charioteer, "I've brought
you something better than that."
"Where did you find her?" said Miss Fortune, something shortly.
"Up at Forbes's."
"What have you got there?"
"A trunk. Where is it to go?"
"A trunk! Bless me! it must go upstairs; but how it is ever to get
there, I am sure I don't know."
"I'll find a way to get it there, I'll engage, if you'll be so good as
to open the door for me, ma'am."
"Indeed you won't! That'll never do! With your shoes!" said Miss
Fortune, in a tone of indignant housewifery.
"Well, without my shoes then," said Mr. Van Brunt, with a half giggle,
as Ellen heard the shoes kicked off. "Now, ma'am, out of my way; give me
a road."
Miss Fortune seized the lamp, and opening another door, ushered Mr. Van
Brunt and the trunk out of the kitchen and up, Ellen saw not whither. In
a minute or two they returned, and he of the ox-cart went out.
"Supper's just ready, Mr. Van Brunt," said the mistress of the house.
"Can't stay, ma'am, it's so late; must hurry home." And he closed the
door behind him.
"What made you so late?" asked Miss Fortune of Ellen.
"I don't know, ma'am--I believe Mr. Van Brunt said the blacksmith had
kept him."
Miss Fortune bustled about a few minutes in silence, setting some things
on the table and filling the teapot.
"Come," she said to Ellen, "take off your coat and come to the table.
You must be hungry by this time. It's a good while since you had your
dinner, ain't it? Come, mother."
The old lady rose, and Miss Fortune taking her chair, set it by the side
of the table next the fire. Ellen was opposite to her, and now, for the
first time, the old lady seemed to know that she was in the room. She
looked at her very attentively, but with an expressionless gaze which
Ellen did not like to meet, though otherwise her face was calm and
pleasant.
"Who is that?" inquired the old lady presently of Miss Fortune, in a
half whisper.
"That's Morgan's daughter," was the answer.
"Morgan's daughter! Has Morgan a daughter?"
"Why, yes, mother; don't you remember I told you a month ago he was
going to send her here?"
The old lady turned again with a half shake of her head towards Ellen.
"Morgan's daughter," she repeated to herself softly; "she's a pretty
little girl--very pretty. Will you come round here and give me a kiss,
dear?"
Ellen submitted. The old lady folded her in her arms and kissed her
affectionately. "That's your grandmother, Ellen," said Miss Fortune, as
Ellen went back to her seat.
Ellen had no words to answer. Her aunt saw her weary, down look, and
soon after supper proposed to take her upstairs. Ellen gladly followed
her. Miss Fortune showed her to her room, and first asking if she wanted
anything, left her to herself. It was a relief. Ellen's heart had been
brimful and ready to run over for some time, but the tears could not
come then. They did not now, till she had undressed and laid her weary
little body on the bed; then they broke forth in an agony. "She did not
kiss me! she didn't say she was glad to see me!" thought poor Ellen. But
weariness this time was too much for sorrow and disappointment. It was
but a few minutes, and Ellen's brow was calm again, and her eyelids
still, and with the tears wet upon her cheeks, she was fast asleep.