"He had visited them ever so much, staying ever so long. I know Maddy
likes him; I do, anyway," Jessie said, never dreaming of the passion
she was exciting, jealousy of Maddy, hatred of Maddy, and a desire to
be revenged on a girl whom Dr. Holbrook visited "ever so much."
What was she that he should care for her? A mere nothing--a child,
whom Guy had taken up. Pity there was a Lucy Atherstone in the way of
his making her mistress of Aikenside. It would be a pretty romance,
Guy Remington and Grandpa Markham's grandchild. Agnes was nervous and
tired, and this helped to increase her anger toward the innocent girl.
She would take immediate measures, she thought, to put the upstart
down, and the sight of Flora laying the cloth for breakfast suggested
to her the first step in teaching Maddy her place.
"Flora," she said, "I notice you are arranging the table for four.
Have we company?"
"Why, no, ma'am; there's Mr. Guy, yourself, Miss Jessie, and Miss
Clyde," was Flora's reply, while Agnes continued haughtily: "Remove
Miss Clyde's plate. No one allows their governess to eat with them."
"But, ma'am," and Flora hesitated, "she's very pretty, and ladylike,
and young; she has always eaten with Miss Jessie and Dr. Holbrook when
he was here. He treats her as if she was good as anybody."
In her eagerness to serve Maddy and save her from insult, Flora was
growing bold, but she only hurt the cause by mentioning the doctor.
Agnes was determined now, and she replied: "It was quite right when we were gone, but it is different now, and
Mr. Remington, I am sure, will not suffer it."
"Might I ask him?" Flora persisted, her hand still on the plate.
"No," Agnes would attend to that, and also see Miss Clyde. All Flora
had to do was to remove the plate, which she finally did, muttering to
herself: "Such airs! but I know Mr. Guy won't stand it."
Meantime Maddy had put on her prettiest delaine, tied her little
dainty black silk apron, Mrs. Noah's gift, and with the feeling that
she was looking unusually well, started for the parlor to meet her
employer, Mrs. Agnes. Jessie had gone in quest of her brother, and
thus Agnes was alone when Maddy Clyde first presented herself before
her. She had not expected to find Maddy so pretty, and for a moment
the hot blood crimsoned her cheek, while her heart throbbed wildly
beneath the rich morning dress. Dr. Holbrook had cause for being
attracted by that fresh, bright face, she thought, and so she steeled
herself against the better impulses of her nature, impulses which
pleaded that for the sake of the past she should be kind to Maddy
Clyde.