COMPLICATIONS.
"IF you please, Miss Hetty, Thompson's have sent the bill for those
jellies and things, and the boy says he is to wait for the money."
"But I can't pay it, Hannah. I told you to tell him I would call in a
few days."
"It's a week now since we had these things," said Hannah, stolidly.
"Well, I can't pay it to-day. I'll talk to mamma when she comes home
this evening."
"You've told me that before, Miss Hetty, and if I hadn't thought you'd
done it, and asked the mistress for some more money, I shouldn't have
told her the things were all paid for last week."
"I wish you hadn't told her," said Hetty, fairly bursting into tears at
the thought of the complicated troubles she had got into through her
grand garden-party.
"Well, now, it's no good crying over spilt milk, Miss Hetty. Just
make a clean breast of it, and tell the mistress all about everything
to-night."
"I wish I could tell her, but, oh I Hannah, you don't know how
changed mamma is. She never speaks to me now as she used before this
garden-party. And I think my cousins saw that something was wrong, for
they seemed glad to go home to-day. Oh! Hannah, I do feel so miserable."
Hannah scarcely needed to be told this, for poor Hetty looked utterly
wretched. She sat indoors all day alone, because she felt ashamed to go
out. And yet there was a greater dread looming in the future, for Mrs.
Mavor had not yet returned, but an angry letter had been received from
her concerning the damage done to her garden.
Hannah sincerely pitied her young mistress, and went back to the door
to persuade the boy to leave the bill, with the promise that Hetty
would call and pay it in a day or two. But an hour afterwards another
bill was brought—from the fruiterer's this time—and this messenger was
also told to wait for the money, for Mrs. Golding was not a regular
customer, which made them the more pressing.
Hetty lifted her tear-stained face as Hannah opened the door. "What is
it now?" she said, impatiently.
"It's for the fruit, Miss Hetty," said Hannah, laying another bill on
the table, "and the boy says his master can't wait any longer."
"Tell him he shall have it to-morrow. I will ask mamma to let me have
my month's allowance this evening, and then I can pay this and nearly
all Thompson's, if mamma will advance me another month as well."
"Yes, do tell the mistress, Miss Hetty, it'll take off half the load I
know. And I'll coax the boy to go back without the money," and Hannah
did the coaxing effectually.
But this turning people away from the door without money was being
talked of in the village, for the boy had left a companion waiting for
him a few yards off, who casually asked if he had got what he went for.
"No, they'll pay to-morrow. They told me the same when I took the
things though."
"And they've just had a grand garden-party; why don't they pay their
debts?"
The boy made some such remark to his sister when he went home, and by
her it was carried to half-a-dozen others. And then another piece of
gossip was whispered: Madame Newton's son had failed in business, or
something; at all events, they were ruined, and Mrs. Golding was ruined
too.
Hetty heard nothing of this rumour, but when her mother came home that
evening, she received what would have seemed like a confirmation of
it if she had been told. Mrs. Golding looked worried and anxious, and
seemed very ill.
"Mamma, shall I get you a little wine?" said Hetty, in some alarm.
"No, thank you. I must learn to do without wine in the future," said
Mrs. Golding, in the stiff, stern voice she had always used to Hetty
lately.
Hetty dropped upon a chair, and her hands fell helplessly into her lap.
How could she tell her mother the trouble she was in while she kept her
at such a distance? But Mrs. Golding paused at the door before going
upstairs.
"Your money is due to-day, Hetty," she said, "but I shall not be able
to let you have it just yet, and you must be exceedingly careful in the
household expenses, for I have had some heavy losses lately." And Mrs.
Golding went on to her room without another word of explanation.
This was a cruel blow to Hetty. At any other time her mother would have
told her what had happened, for until this unlucky garden-party there
had been perfect confidence, as there always should be, between mother
and daughter. But now Mrs. Golding shut her lips firmly, and Hetty did
not dare ask her a question, although she was burning with curiosity as
well as anxiety to know how her mother could have had heavy losses.
After sitting for a little while waiting for her mother to come
downstairs, she ran into the kitchen to Hannah.
"Have you heard anything—anything about mamma losing money?" she said.
"Has she told you about it?"
"Bless me! No, Miss Hetty. And I hope she hasn't been lending the
Newtons any, for they do say they're ruined, for all they have held
their heads so high for years and years."
"The Newtons ruined!" exclaimed Hetty. "Oh! Hannah, then I am afraid we
are ruined too, for I know mamma drew money out of the bank to lend Mr.
Newton a little while ago." And Hetty began to wonder what they were to
do.
She went to bed that night feeling more anxious than over. Hannah
called her at breakfast time.
"I wish you'd rouse yourself, Miss Hetty, and come into the mistress's
room."
"Why, what is the matter?" she asked.
"Matter enough. Old Mrs. Newton is dead, and though I went to tell the
mistress an hour ago, she hasn't got up, and I don't know what to make
of her."
"Is she awake?" asked Hetty, springing out of bed, and hastily
scrambling on some of her clothes.
"I don't know what to make of her, but I'm afraid she must be very ill.
For she took no notice when I told her Mrs. Newton was dead, though I
thought at first she must have heard me, but felt too bad about it to
speak now. I'm afraid she's off her head with the worry of one thing
after the other."
"Mamma has been worried lately," said Hetty, with a little twinge of
conscience, but feeling thankful now that she had not told her mother
of the monetary difficulties she had got into.
She went into her mother's room, and saw at once that she was very ill.
A doctor was sent for at once, who decided that it was a very serious
attack of brain fever, and ordered that a nurse should be obtained,
and nothing likely to excite the invalid was to be mentioned in her
presence.
[Illustration]