“I thought you never would get down,” Bridget said, almost crossly. “If you have to wait on that old woman and all the rest of us you’ll wish you were in the grave. My! You look all tired out. Now, here’s a nice bit of chicken that I laid aside for you. I’m not goin’ to have you fed on leavings. And it wasn’t nice down there?” nodding her head.
“Oh, Bridget, such a kitchen and such a table, and no white cloth on it! They, the servants didn’t seem to care, and they were nice and clean at the Home, and you’re—well, you have things as nice as in the dining room, and to have things shoveled out of the kettle on your plate or cold on a dish! Sometimes puddings were good, and the creams and frozen things were clean and nice. But I’m so glad to get back to you. And the lovely bath room! We didn’t have any in the cottage. 174 Why it saves half the work taking care of babies.”
“You bet it does, I couldn’t and wouldn’t live in such a muxy kitchen. If I couldn’t have things to suit I’d take French leave, though I guess I’d call it Irish leave. And people, women, think it a fine thing to go off and live that way. But the boss got very tired of it.”
Marilla laughed faintly. She was almost too tired to eat, but the chicken was so tasty, and the fresh home-made bread delightful. And the cheery voice put heart in the girl. Then the dessert was delicious.
“I promised to take Aunt Hetty a cup of milk. I’ll see first if Mrs. Borden wants me. But I’ll dry the dishes for you.”
“No, dear, I did the most of them while you were up stairs.”
The babies had been put to bed. They did have an unlimited capacity for sleep, now that they were well. Jack was perched on his father’s knee detailing some wonderful adventures. No, they did not need her.
“I’m going in next door awhile,” said Bridget on her return. “Mrs. Dawson’s girl 175 left in a huff, and she asked me if I knew anyone. And there was my friend, Maggie Brady, just out of a place and a nice tidy girl; a good cook, too. So they both suited. Maggie’s mother and mine lived in the same town. It’s nice to have a friend at hand. And when ye’s through with the old lady I’d run to bed. You look tired as a wagon wheel that’s run round and round.”
Marilla laughed and took a bottle of milk with her. Aunt Hetty drank a good cupful, hot, and the remainder was set out on the window sill. Then she settled herself in bed with two pillows under her head; she could hear better she thought.
“Now, you open that book at the mark and read to me. ’Twon’t be very interesting, for you can’t know what’s gone before. And no doubt I’ll fall asleep—I always snore a little at first, and when you hear that you may light the burner in the other room and turn it very low and put the window down from the top and skip off to yourself.”