"It don't make any difference," began Miss Perkins: "but—but there's the dog."
"Ah, Hero! You don't like Hero, I'm afraid. Yet he does not trouble you, does he? If Hero goes, I go; but if you can put up with him, I shall be glad to stay. This room begins to look a little home-like to me. I must start afresh somewhere; I could not endure to go back to all the old surroundings. Everything would be so empty and changed. But Hero is the one thing left to me, and he saved my life. I could not part with him."
Miss Perkins was silent. In her heart she felt that if Millie could have parted with Hero, she would hardly have been worthy of the name of woman. Giving in was never easy, however, to Miss Perkins.
"Please think about it, and let me know," continued Mildred, after a break. "If you are willing, I shall send for the rest of my things from the south of Wales—just two or three boxes. The furniture was all sold before I went to sea."
[CHAPTER X]
JESSIE'S DECLARATION
"AND you'll stay here always, Millie! Won't you? Promise not to go away. Promise not to think about any other home."
Jessie had flown eagerly upstairs, two steps at a time, after lengthy confabulation with Miss Perkins. The state of affairs had gradually oozed out, in response to judicious squeezing; and Jessie had controlled her own ardent pleasure, lest from a sheer spirit of opposition, Miss Perkins should decide against having a permanent lodger. Difficulties lay in the path of an immediate settlement of the question. Hero was the ostensible stumbling-stone; jealousy of Jessie's love for Mildred was a more potent barrier.
Of the latter fact Jessie was ignorant, but she had abundance to say in defence of Hero. He was the dearest and sweetest of dogs! Always good, and always obedient. He never dug holes in the garden; and he was learning to rub his paws on the doormat whenever he came in. Had not aunt Barbara herself, seeing him at the occupation two days earlier, remarked that he did it "uncommon like a Christian"? Miss Perkins could not disavow so recent an utterance.
"Well, I don't know as I care—particular. It's got to be, I s'pose. Things has mostly got to be as nobody wouldn't ever choose," said Miss Perkins, In a mood of depressed philosophising. "But I'm not a-going to have a fuss made about Mildred, mind. She'll have to take things as she finds them; and if she don't like 'em, she'll have to go. And you'll have the doing of her room. I've enough of my own to see to, and it's time you should help. We shall find it a lot of bother, all the year round."