Martha,
in her clean print dress, and white handkerchief pinned round her throat,
was a pleasant contrast to the tawdry girl, who looked wildly at Stephen
as he entered, as if she scarcely knew what to do.
'Good evening, Bess,' he said, as pleasantly as he could. 'Martha told me
thee was coming to eat some pikelets with her, so I asked Tim to come
too; and after tea we'll have some rare singing. I often hear thee on the
bank, Bess, and thee has a good voice.'
Bess coloured with pleasure, and evidently tried her best to be amiable
and well-mannered, sitting up nearer and nearer to the fire until her
face shone as red as her dress with the heat. Martha moved triumphantly
about the house, setting the tea-table, upon which she placed the three
china cups, with a gratified glance at the undisguised admiration of
Bess; though three common ones had to be laid beside them, for, as Tim
was coming, Stephen must fare like grandfather and little Nan. As soon as
Tim arrived, she was very busy beating up the batter for the pikelets,
and then baking them over the fire; and very soon the little party were
sitting down to their feast--Bess declaring politely, between each piece
pressed upon her by Martha, that she had never tasted such pikelets,
never!
At last, when tea was quite finished, and the table carefully lifted back
to a safe corner at the foot of the bed, though Martha prudently replaced
the china cups in the cupboard, Tim and Stephen drew up their stools to
the front of the fire, and a significant glance passed between them.
Pages:
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110