At length--and yet it was not so long, not a fortnight since Molly
had left the Hall--the end came. Mrs. Hamley had sunk out of life as
gradually as she had sunk out of consciousness and her place in this
world. The quiet waves closed over her, and her place knew her no
more.
"They all sent their love to you, Molly," said her father. "Roger
said he knew how you would feel it."
Mr. Gibson had come in very late, and was having a solitary dinner
in the dining-room. Molly was sitting near him to keep him company.
Cynthia and her mother were upstairs. The latter was trying on a
head-dress which Cynthia had made for her.
Molly remained downstairs after her father had gone out afresh on
his final round among his town patients. The fire was growing very
low, and the lights were waning. Cynthia came softly in, and taking
Molly's listless hand, that hung down by her side, sat at her feet
on the rug, chafing her chilly fingers without speaking. The tender
action thawed the tears that had been gathering heavily at Molly's
heart, and they came dropping down her cheeks.
"You loved her dearly, did you not, Molly?"
"Yes," sobbed Molly; and then there was a silence.
"Had you known her long?"
"No, not a year. But I had seen a great deal of her. I was almost
like a daughter to her; she said so. Yet I never bid her good-by, or
anything. Her mind became weak and confused."
"She had only sons, I think?"
"No; only Mr. Osborne and Mr. Roger Hamley. She had a daughter
once--'Fanny.' Sometimes, in her illness, she used to call me
'Fanny.'"
The two girls were silent for some time, both gazing into the fire.
Cynthia spoke first:--
"I wish I could love people as you do, Molly!"
"Don't you?" said the other, in surprise.
"No. A good number of people love me, I believe, or at least they
think they do; but I never seem to care much for any one. I do
believe I love you, little Molly, whom I have only known for ten
days, better than any one."
"Not than your mother?" said Molly, in grave astonishment.
"Yes, than my mother!" replied Cynthia, half-smiling. "It's very
shocking, I daresay; but it is so. Now, don't go and condemn me. I
don't think love for one's mother quite comes by nature; and remember
how much I have been separated from mine! I loved my father, if you
will," she continued, with the force of truth in her tone, and then
she stopped; "but he died when I was quite a little thing, and no one
believes that I remember him. I heard mamma say to a caller, not a
fortnight after his funeral, 'Oh, no, Cynthia is too young; she has
quite forgotten him'--and I bit my lips, to keep from crying out,
'Papa! papa! have I?' But it's of no use. Well, then mamma had to go
out as a governess; she couldn't help it, poor thing! but she didn't
much care for parting with me. I was a trouble, I daresay. So I was
sent to school at four years old; first one school, and then another;
and in the holidays, mamma went to stay at grand houses, and I was
generally left with the schoolmistresses. Once I went to the Towers;
and mamma lectured me continually, and yet I was very naughty, I
believe. And so I never went again; and I was very glad of it, for it
was a horrid place."