"You wonderful Nannie," I said later, as I sat at her feet, "how did you
do it?"
"Quite easily," said Nannie. "When I saw that you must go to Hames, as
of course you had to, I thought to myself, I'll wait! Years ago my lady
said to me, I Nannie, don't let my child throw away her own chance of
happiness. I feel that a day may come when she will be called upon to
make a sacrifice, and she will make it, regardless of her own feelings.
You were always giving up your toys and things to the boys; that's what
made your mother think of it. The day she spoke of came the morning the
telegram came from Hames. I had been waiting and waiting so as to be
sure to do what your mother told me, and the day came. You see, I saw
the paper, and I knew!"
"How, Nannie? No one knew, I thought."
"Ah, nannies know things; much use they'd be in this world if they
didn't? I know lots of things I'm not supposed to! Well, I waited, and
no telegram came from him that day. There were all sorts of things about
him in the evening paper, being a hero and a lion and all those sort of
things. Then the next day the telegram came. The ship had been late; you
never can tell with ships. Leave ships to sailors, I say. Well, I opened
the telegram. It said, 'Will you see me if I come straight to you?' or
some such words, and I answered it."
"What did you say, Nannie?"
"I don't see that that matters. There's nothing in words, and I'm no
scholar."
"Nannie dear, it does matter. It meant everything in the world to me. If
only you knew how happy I am, how ridiculously happy."
"It's all right, then. I've done what she said." A rapturous smile
illuminated her old face.
"All right, Nannie?"
Only a hug can express some things. Nannie straightened her cap. "Well,
then," she said, drawing herself up, "I couldn't do it for sixpence,
it cost ninepence halfpenny. I said, 'Come. Been waiting for you for
years.'"
"Nannie!" I exclaimed.
THE END
End of Project Gutenberg's The Professional Aunt, by Mary C.E. Wemyss