The only
circumstance which in her secret heart she considered a serious drawback
was her very near neighbourhood to Miss Anne.
'Stephen,' said Martha one Saturday night, after their work was done,
'I've been thinking how it's only thee that's trying to keep the
commandments. I'm not such a scholar as thee; but I've heard thy chapter
read till it's in my head, as well as if I could read it off book myself.
So I'm thinking I ought to love my enemies as well as thee; and I've
asked Black Bess to come and have a cup of tea with us to-morrow.'
'Black Bess!' exclaimed Stephen, with a feeling of some displeasure.
'Ah,' said Martha, 'she's always calling me--a shame to be heard. But
I've quite forgiven her; and to-morrow I'll let her see I can make
pikelets as well as her mother; and we'll have out the three china cups;
only grandfather and little Nan must have common ones. I thought I'd
better tell thee; and then thee'lt make haste home from church in the
afternoon.'
'Black Bess isn't a good friend for thee,' answered Stephen, who was
better acquainted with the pit-girl's character than was Martha, and felt
troubled at the idea of any companionship between them.
Pages:
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107