WHO IS MISTRESS?
IN a day or two, Lily was entirely restored to health. The story of
Aunt Mercy had made a deep impression on her mind, causing a shade of
thought to rest on her fair features. The old lady she treated with
great attention, notwithstanding sundry hints thrown out by Ann that
she was a fidgety, fussy, meddling woman; that visitors had better keep
in their own rooms, and not interfere with what didn't belong to them.
It was Mrs. Lovell's method to go into the kitchen at the most
unexpected hours. Sometimes she arose early and took a general survey
of the premises before any one was stirring; and then again she would
wait till they had retired for the night; or, she would appear in the
midst of the preparation for dinner. Finding she paid no attention to
their sullen disregard of her wishes, cook and Tom grew more insolent
than ever, and on one occasion bolted the door in her face. To be
sure, she might at any minute have caused their dismissal by reporting
their conduct to her nephew, but she reasoned that the next set might
prove no better; and she was convinced that there were some underhand
dealings in the kitchen which, if she could prove upon them, would be a
lesson of warning to poor, unsuspecting Lady-bird.
From the first she had suspected Tom. Ever since he could remember,
he had lived in the street, from which he had been rescued by Mr.
Percival after being detected in petty larceny only to be placed in
circumstances of far greater temptation. Besides, his looks were
greatly against him. He had a low, retreating forehead, and never
could be made to look you full in the face. Many times the old lady
had noticed a glance toward his fellow-servants, low, cunning, and
malicious, such as had for an instant appeared on his face when
notified by Mr. Everett that he was to go to market under the direction
of his aunt.
On several occasions, Aunt Mercy, whose eyes were wide open, had
noticed glances of warning when she suddenly entered the kitchen; and
then the cook had hurried away to the pantry, where she was apparently
busy at work when Mrs. Lovell entered. Keeping her suspicions entirely
to herself, she became every day more convinced that, aside from the
great waste of every article of provision, flour, coffee, tea, sugar,
butter, etc., there was a most mysterious disappearance of these
articles, especially the latter.
Setting her wits at work, she tried to contrive some method of
detecting the plot. Sometimes she resolved to go in person to the
grocer and look at the books, but though she might thus ascertain how
much butter, for instance, had been ordered, she couldn't say it had
not all been used in the family. The more she saw of the servants, the
more she was convinced that, unless this terrible leak in her nephew's
expenditures could be stopped, he would be ruined.
She had been in the house nearly a month, when her nephew came one
morning to her chamber holding a paper in his hand. His face was very
grave as he seated himself by her, saying,—
"I have just received the grocer's bill, which I ordered to be sent
once a month. It is nearly three, and it has swelled to such an amount
that I am frightened. Why, at this rate, our mere living will cost us
between four and five thousand dollars a year!"
"More than that, as I have calculated it," eagerly answered Aunt Mercy.
"Beside the shocking waste, I'm convinced there's dishonesty in your
kitchen."
She related facts on which she had founded her suspicions until he grew
very angry.
"I can do no good here," she added. "As you are now situated, I am only
one against three; for I feel confident they are all implicated. There
must be a thorough overturn,—new servants, new rules. Some one who
can be trusted must keep the keys to the store-room, and deal out the
articles as they are needed. I wish Lily—"
"Don't expect Lily to undertake such business," he answered, almost
petulantly. "The drudgery and confinement would crush her; and then
if such an arrangement be proposed, her mother would insist that we
should break up housekeeping, and take rooms at some of the fashionable
hotels. No, that wont do at all."
He rose and walked back and forth across the room, his brow knit with
anxiety. At length he said,—
"It isn't this one bill that worries me. I can pay this easily enough,
but it's the idea of living at such a rate of extravagance. I wish you
had come to us at first, Aunt Mercy, before these wasteful creatures
were established."
A low, timid knock interrupted them, and Lady-bird appeared looking as
sweet and happy as though no cares ever intruded themselves into her
mind.
"I heard your voice in here," she said, smiling upon her husband. "Are
you getting up a conspiracy against me that you look so sober?"
"Yes, darling, a conspiracy to make you more happy," he answered, for
the time throwing all his care to the winds.
The next day, Mrs. Lovell noticed that when Lily came to dinner, her
eyes were red with weeping. It was so unusual a circumstance to have
even a cloud shadowing her beaming face that she would have spoken
instinctively of it, had she not met a warning glance from her nephew.
A ride was planned for the afternoon, and Lawrence devoted himself to
her comfort, as he told her, for the rest of the day.
As he was passing his aunt's room while Lady-bird was preparing for the
drive, he looked in and said, hurriedly,—
"No more interference with the servants; let them go on as they please.
I will explain when I can."
"'Tisn't right, Lawrence!" She spoke decidedly.
"Hush!" he said. "Lily will hear you. It's only a matter of dollars and
cents, which is nothing in comparison with her comfort."
Before she could say more, he had shut the door softly, and was gone.
It was not till evening that she saw him again. They had gone to her
father's to tea, and returned with some friends, who were to pass the
night with them. When the company were talking gayly in the parlor, he
slipped away and knocked on his aunt's door.
"I came," he began "to explain what I said this morning. Instead of
meeting me with smiles at the door, as Lily generally does, Ann came
and informed me that her mistress wished to see me in her chamber. I
found her weeping bitterly. Failing to get rid of your interference, I
have no doubt it was a plan of the three to appeal to her.
"First, cook rushed to her room, and gave notice of an intention to
quit, professing that she 'could live to the end of her days with so
swate a mistress as herself, but she couldn't stand interference, and
niver could.'
"Then Ann made a pretext of carrying an armful of dresses to the room,
and echoed the same story. She was willing to do her best, and thought
nothing too much trouble when she could plaze so kind a mistress, but
everything was different from what it was when she was hired. She made
a great favor of consenting to stay till her lady was supplied.
"Lily had scarcely recovered her breath before there came a request
for Mrs. Everett to step to the hall, and spake to poor Tom, who was
suffering because he was going away,—back to Mr. Percival's. 'Sure
my auld mistress never said a word about my being under any one but
yourself, ma'am; and though I'm a poor bye, I values my character too
much to stay where I'm not wanted.'
"Ann came back and found her crying, and told a doleful tale of your
suspicious looks, etc., ending with,—
"'Feth, ma'am, it's enough to make honest folks rogues to be watching
'em in that fashion, and so I can't risk myself nohow; for I couldn't
tell what I'd become with the likes of Miss Lovell put over my head.'
"My poor Lady-bird was terribly grieved by all this, and began to think
trouble had come upon her in earnest, but I made light of it. I told
her you were a thoroughly good housekeeper, and that I had requested
you to look a little after kitchen affairs during your visit, but that
it was an awkward job for you, and you'd be glad to be relieved of it.
Still she looked very sober, and presently it all came out.
"'Are you sure,' she said, shyly, 'that you are not sorry you took such
a useless little girl to be your wife? I'm afraid I'm very, 'very'
ignorant about housekeeping. I know Aunt Mercy thinks so, though she is
so kind, and I love her so dearly.'
"'You can learn,' I said, encouragingly. 'In time you will become used
to care. You are very young yet.'
"'But,' she said, with fresh tears, 'it does seem dreadful to have to
think about servants from morning to night, and to keep the closets
locked up, as Aunt Mercy says I ought, and give out the sugar and eggs;
besides, I never could learn how many were needed for all the puddings
and cake that cook makes so nicely. Oh, Lawrence, you can't tell how
much I dread to do it!'
"What could I say but that I would arrange it with cook and the rest
to stay? I sent for them to the dining-room, and gave each of them a
five-dollar bill, charging them to let me hear no more of their going
to their mistress with stories of leaving. I saw they thought they had
triumphed, and I hated myself for giving them the occasion, but there
was no other way."
"You will live to regret it, Lawrence. Lily cannot be happy while
neglecting positive duties. How long do you imagine either the cook or
Ann will remain content to be servants when they can be mistresses? You
have only begun to see the trouble they will give your wife, setting
aside all their waste and extravagance."
"I know, I know," he answered, reddening, "but it can't be helped now."
"I shall start for home to-morrow," she added, after a moment's pause.
"You will need me more by and by."
There was a most affectionate parting between Aunt Mercy and her
niece. Lily kissed her repeatedly, and begged her to come again, not a
suspicion entering her mind that the old lady's visit had been abruptly
terminated in consequence of what had occurred; while Mrs. Lovell in
her turn thanked her young hostess for the pains taken to make her stay
agreeable, and reminded her that there was always a home for them in
her house.