“We will see about it after tea,” she said. “You shall certainly see the little girl, as I promised you.”
The door opened as she spoke, and a small maid-servant in a tall cap appeared, bearing a tray. Betty hovered in the background with a face in which pride and laughter struggled together.
Kettles was not used to her new style of dress yet, and held herself stiffly as though she had been dressed up for a joke. The tangled hair which used to fall low on her forehead was tightly brushed back and tucked up in a net. Her face looked bare and unshaded, and several degrees lighter by reason of yellow soap and scrubbing. It was surmounted by a cap of Betty’s, which had been cut to fit her, but was still much too tall for such a small person. Nothing remained of the old Kettles but her eyes, which still had the quick observant look in them of some nimble animal, as she advanced in triumph with her tray.
The children stared in surprise at this strange little figure without any idea that they had seen it before, while Miss Unity and Betty watched them with expectant smiles.
“This is my new little maid,” said Miss Unity.
Kettles dropped a curtsy, and having put down her tray, stood with her arms hanging straight beside her, and her bright eyes fixed on the children.
All at once Pennie gave her sister a nudge.
“Why, don’t you see?” she exclaimed; “I really do believe it’s Kettles!”
“We call her Keturah,” said Miss Unity smiling kindly. “She is a very good little girl. Keturah, this is the young lady who made you all these nice clothes. You must say ‘thank you’ to her.”
Pennie hung shyly back. She did not want to be thanked, and she was quite afraid of Kettles now that she was so neat and clean.