"Now I have told you everything, grandmother. Shall I go away? I wanted to
go to school; but I see that it costs a great deal of money, and I don't
want to be a burden on any one. I came here, not to ask you to take me in,
because I did not want to trouble you; but I thought before I went away I
ought to see you once because--because you are my grandmother."
"I've never been a grandmother," said the little woman of the world
reflectively, "but I don't know but it would be rather nice. I'd like to
make you into a pretty girl, and take you out into society. That would be
something new to live for. I'm not very pretty myself any more, but I can
see that you will be. Do you wear blue or pink? I used to wear pink
myself, but I believe you could wear either when you get your complexion
in shape. You've tanned it horribly, but it may come out all right. I
think you'll take. You say you want to go to school. Why, certainly, I
suppose that will be necessary; living out in that barbarous, uncivilized
region, of course you don't know much. You seem to speak correctly, but
John always was particular about his speech. He had a tutor when he was
little who tripped him up every mistake he made. That was the only thing
that tutor was good for; he was a linguist. We found out afterwards he was
terribly wild, and drank. He did John more harm than good, Marie, I shall
want Elizabeth to have the rooms next mine. Ring for Martha to see that
everything is in order. Elizabeth, did you ever have your hands manicured?
You have a pretty-shaped hand. I'll have the woman attend to it when she
comes to shampoo your hair and put it up. Did you bring any clothes along?
Of course not. You couldn't on horseback. I suppose you had your trunk
sent by express. No trunk? No express? No railroad? How barbarous! How
John must have suffered, poor fellow! He, so used to every luxury! Well, I
don't see that it was my fault. I gave him everything he wanted except his
wife, and he took her without my leave. Poor fellow, poor fellow!"
Mrs. Bailey in due time sent Elizabeth off to the suite of rooms that she
said were to be hers exclusively, and arose to bedeck herself for another
day. Elizabeth was a new toy, and she anticipated playing with her. It
put new zest into a life that had grown monotonous.
Elizabeth, meanwhile, was surveying her quarters, and wondering what
Lizzie would think if she could see her. According to orders, the coachman
had taken Robin to the stable, and he was already rolling in all the
luxuries of a horse of the aristocracy, and congratulating himself on the
good taste of his mistress to select such a stopping-place. For his part
he was now satisfied not to move further. This was better than the
wilderness any day. Oats like these, and hay such as this, were not to be
found on the plains.