"Will you walk as far as the car corner with me? I have missed a real call that I meant to have had with you. I have been to your house."
"Did you see mother?" Sylvie asked, as they walked on, having said good-by, and passed out through the shop.
"No: Sabina said she was lying down, and I would not have her disturbed. I came partly to tell you a little news. Amy is engaged to Mr. Robert Truesdaile. They will be married in the fall, and go out to England. He has relatives there; his mother's family. There is an uncle living near Manchester; a large cotton manufacturer; he would like to take his nephew into the business; he has a great desire to get him there and make an Englishman of him."
"Does Amy like it? I mean, going to England? I am ever so glad for her being so happy."
"Yes, she likes it. At any rate she likes, as we all do, the new pleasant beginnings. We are all made to like fresh corners to turn, unless they seem very dark ones, or unless we have grown very old and tired, which I think there is never any need of doing."
"How busy she will be!" was Sylvie's next remark, made after a pause in which she realized to herself the news, and received also a little suggestion from it.
"Yes, pretty busy. But such preparations are made easily in these days."
"Won't there be ever so many little things of that sort to be done?" asked Sylvie, signifying the parcel which Miss Kirkbright held lightly in her fingers. "I wish I could do some of them. I mean,"—she gathered herself up bravely to say,—"I should like dearly to do anything for Amy; but I have thought it would be a good plan—if I could—to do something like that for the sake of earning; as Dot Ingraham does."
"Do you not have quite enough money, my dear?" asked Miss Kirkbright, in her kindly direct way that could never hurt.
"Not quite. At least, it don't seem to go very far. There are always things that we didn't expect. And things count up so at the grocer's. And a little nice meat every day,—which we have to have,—turns out so very expensive. And Sabina's wages—and mother's wine—and cream—and fresh eggs,—I get so worried when the bills come in!"