Yea, she was jealous, though she did not show it,
For jealousy dislikes the world to know it.--BYRON.
Rosa was the last to wake up in the morning. The nurse had already
dressed the child and taken him from the room; so Rosa rang her bell to
bring the truants back.
Janet came alone.
"Where is little Crow?" inquired Crow's mamma.
"In the breakfast-room, me leddy, on the laird's knee," answered the
girl.
"I tell you there are no lairds in America, Janet!" said the lady,
impatiently.
"Well, on the gentleman's knee, ma'am."
"Very well, now come help me to dress."
Janet hastened to obey, and in half an hour Rosa Blondelle issued from
her chamber, looking if possible even more beautiful than she had looked
on the previous evening; for she wore an elegant morning robe of white
cashmere, embroidered down the front and around the bodice, sleeves,
and skirt with a border of blue bells, and she had her splendid hair
dressed in the simple natural ringlets that were the most becoming to
her.
Janet walked before her mistress, to show the way. Far up the great
hall, she opened a door on the left-hand side, admitting the lady to a
delightful front room, whose front windows looked out upon the lake, the
valley, and the opposite range of mountains.
It was a golden October morning, and from a cloudless deep-blue sky the
sun shone down in dazzling splendor upon the valley, kindling up into a
conflagration of living light all the variegated foliage of the trees,
upon the mountain sides and the river's banks, where the glowing crimson
of the oak and the flaming orange of the elm mingled with the royal
purple of the dogwood and the deep green of the cedar. And all this
gorgeousness of coloring was reflected in the lake, whose waters seemed
dyed with all the prismatic hues of the rainbow.
"'Black Valley,' indeed!" said Rosa Blondelle, with a smile, as she
entered the breakfast-room and glanced through the windows upon the
magnificent scene; "'Black Valley,' call you this? I should rather call
it 'Bright Valley.' Oh, what a glorious day and oh, what a glorious
scene! Good-morning, Mrs. Berners. Good-morning, Mr. Berners. Little
Crow, this kind gentleman is spoiling you," she said, as she advanced
with smiling eyes and outstretched hands to greet her host and hostess,
who had risen from their chairs to meet her.
They both received her very kindly, even affectionately, and as they had
waited only for her presence to have breakfast, Sybil now rang and
ordered it to be brought in.
Sybil's own little "high chair" had been rummaged out from its corner in
the lumber-room and dusted, and brought in for the use of the baby-boy;
who, in honor of his mother, was permitted to sit up to the table with
the grown people.