Wives and Daughters: An Every-Day Story - Page 15/572

"Bless us and save us! who'd ha' thought of any one being in the bed?

Are you one of the Hollingford ladies, my dear? They are all gone

this hour or more!"

"Oh, dear, what shall I do? That lady they call Clare promised to

waken me in time. Papa will so wonder where I am, and I don't know

what Betty will say."

The child began to cry, and the housemaids looked at each other

in some dismay and much sympathy. Just then, they heard Mrs.

Kirkpatrick's step along the passages, approaching. She was singing

some little Italian air in a low musical voice, coming to her bedroom

to dress for dinner. One housemaid said to the other, with a knowing

look, "Best leave it to her;" and they passed on to their work in the

other rooms.

Mrs. Kirkpatrick opened the door, and stood aghast at the sight of

Molly.

"Why, I quite forgot you!" she said at length. "Nay, don't cry;

you'll make yourself not fit to be seen. Of course I must take the

consequences of your over-sleeping yourself, and if I can't manage to

get you back to Hollingford to-night, you shall sleep with me, and

we'll do our best to send you home to-morrow morning."

"But papa!" sobbed out Molly. "He always wants me to make tea for

him; and I have no night-things."

"Well, don't go and make a piece of work about what can't be helped

now. I'll lend you night-things, and your papa must do without your

making tea for him to-night. And another time don't over-sleep

yourself in a strange house; you may not always find yourself among

such hospitable people as they are here. Why now, if you don't cry

and make a figure of yourself, I'll ask if you may come in to dessert

with Master Smythe and the little ladies. You shall go into the

nursery, and have some tea with them; and then you must come back

here and brush your hair and make yourself tidy. I think it is a very

fine thing for you to be stopping in such a grand house as this; many

a little girl would like nothing better."

During this speech she was arranging her toilette for dinner--taking

off her black morning gown; putting on her dressing-gown; shaking her

long soft auburn hair over her shoulders, and glancing about the room

in search of various articles of her dress,--a running flow of easy

talk came babbling out all the time.

"I have a little girl of my own, dear! I don't know what she would

not give to be staying here at Lord Cumnor's with me; but, instead

of that, she has to spend her holidays at school; and yet you are

looking as miserable as can be at the thought of stopping for

just one night. I really have been as busy as can be with those

tiresome--those good ladies, I mean, from Hollingford--and one can't

think of everything at a time."