"Hullo!" he said; "butterflies and moths!--eh?"
He spoke quite angrily, as it seemed to me, and chilled me, as I felt
that he would not like me to do such a thing as collect.
"Hah!" he said. "I used to do that when I was a boy. There's lots
here; but don't go after them when you're at work."
"No, sir," I said.
"Thought I'd come up, my lad, as it's all strange to you. I haven't
much to say to you, only keep away from those boys. Let 'em talk, but
never you mind."
"I'll try, sir."
"That's right. Work to-morrow morning at six. You may begin sooner if
you like. I often, do. Breakfast at eight; dinner at twelve; tea at
five, and then work's supposed to be done. I generally go in the houses
then. Always something wants doing there."
He stood thinking and looking as cold and hard as could be while I
waited for him to speak again; but he did not for quite five minutes,
during which time he stood picking up my comb and dropping it back into
the hair-brush.
"Yes," he said suddenly, "I should go in for those late lettuces if I
was Ezra. He'd find a good sale for them when salads were getting
scarce. Celery's very good, but people don't like to be always tied
down to celery and endives--a tough kind of meat at the best of times.
If you write home--no, this is home now--if you write to Brother Ezra,
you say I hope he'll keep his word about the lettuces. Good-night!"
I felt puzzled as soon as he had gone, and had not the slightest idea
how I felt towards the people with whom I was to pass months--perhaps
years.
"I shall never like Mrs Solomon," I said to myself dolefully; "and I
shall only like him half and half--liking him sometimes and not caring
for him at others."
I was very tired, and soon after I was lying in the cool sweet sheets
thinking about my new home, and watching the dimly-seen window; and then
it seemed to be all light and to look over Old Brownsmith's garden,
where Shock was pelting at me with pellets of clay thrown from the end
of a switch. And all the time he came nearer and nearer till the
pellets went right over my shoulder, and they grew bigger till they were
peaches that he kept sticking on the end of the switch, and as he threw
them they broke with a noise that was like the word Push!
I wanted to stop him, but I could not till he threw one peach with all
his might, and the switch caught me across the back, and I retaliated by
taking it away and thrashing him.