“Thanks,” she said a little more graciously and helped herself to the most appetizing looking piece.
“Mabel” deigned to take a roll at which she nibbled gingerly, “as if expecting it to poison her,” commented Jack to her twin. The first young man, however, seemed genuinely glad of what came his way and was profuse in his thanks. “Kitty” expressed herself faintly grateful. The second young man also gave reluctant thanks, “But he ate all he could get, just the same,” said Jack.
Jo did not wait to consume her own roll but took it with her as she went out. As she passed him the first young man sprang to his feet. “Can’t I be of some service?” he asked. “You are so kind to share with us. I wish you would let me be of some assistance.”
“No, thank you,” returned Jo. “Our man is outside and is very capable,” and out she went.
After a time she appeared at the little window. “Girls,” she whispered, “’Lish has rigged up an awning, out of the rubber blankets, for the wagon, and has some dry straw in it. The rest of the eatables are quite dry and Miss Lloyd thinks we’d better not attempt to transport them here in all the rain. Don’t you think we might leave the castle to the lords and ladies and take to the tented plain?”
Every girl immediately made for the door in a jiffy, without so much as a word of farewell to the uninvited guests, and in another moment the four silent strangers had the place to themselves while the girls under ’Lish’s improvised shelter made merry over ginger ale, hard-boiled eggs, biscuits and cakes. The coffee had come to grief through the sudden giving way of one of the stones which propped the coffee-pot, and Miss Lloyd was unable to save more than a cupful which all insisted she should drink herself.
In the goodness of her heart Miss Lloyd proposed that they should send some of their abundance to “those that sit in darkness,” she said, but every girl’s voice was raised in protest.
“Horrid, disagreeable, stuck-up creatures,” cried they, “not a crumb shall they have. They have already had enough to keep them from starving, and they may thank their stars they had that much; it was more than they deserved. Why didn’t they provide themselves with some food, foolish things?”
“They probably meant to go over the mountain and on to the next village, but the rain altered their plans,” Miss Lloyd said.
“Then let them take the consequences. If they had behaved like white folks we’d have been ready to divvy up with them,” said Jo. “Although,” she added, “I must say the first young man was very nice. If we could have toled him away from the rest I shouldn’t care.”