“Maybe the poor child frets after her mother and brother,—they were never separated before; they have clung together through sorrow and hardship, and Lottie may feel lonely at first away from her home, though it is but a poor one.”
“It is not easy to arrange for the family to meet,” said Isa. “Mrs. Stone has to earn her own living, and Axe is at least six miles from Wildwaste.”
“I hope that you will not mind my mentioning it, Miss Gritton,” said Rebekah, in a deferential tone, “but our little open cart is going on Saturday to Axe to bring our Ned to pass the Sunday with us,”—Mrs. Holdich’s eye brightened as she spoke of the expected visit from her son—“and if Lottie could be spared, I am sure that she would be most welcome to a place in it, to go and see her poor mother.”
“A good and kind thought,” replied Isa. “She might stay over Sunday at Axe, and return in the baker’s cart on the following morning.”
“If you could kindly spare her,” repeated Mrs. Holdich, almost as much pleased at the prospect of the lonely Deborah having the comfort of a visit from her child, as in the expectation of welcoming her own.
“Leave of absence will be easily given,” observed Isa, “especially as I am not living at Wildwaste at present; so the services of our little maid are less required, as she was engaged upon my account.”
Mrs. Holdich turned towards the shop of Bolder, after accompanying Miss Gritton to the door of the new brick tenement, which appeared to Isa yet more bare and destitute either of beauty or comfort every time that she returned from the wood-girdled Castle of Lestrange.
Lottie was waiting at the open door to receive her mistress, having been eagerly on the watch for her return.