"Roaring House," slowly repeated my Father, knocking the Ashes out of his Pipe, when I had read him the greater Part of this Letter. "It must be a very queer Place, I think, that has such a queer Name.... A roaring House!—hang it if I should like to live in it!—A House that roars, or that has been accustomed to roar, very likely in the old Days of the roaring Cavaliers!—A monstrous queer Name indeed!—Aye, aye, many a Hogshead of strong Ale has been swilled in its great, rambling Kitchen by roaring Boys, I warrant ye—A great, rambling, scrambling, shambling House, with Doors and Casements loose on their Hinges, that creak in the Wind, and with loose Tiles on the great gabled Roofs, and Swallows' Nests in the great, windy Chimneys, and creaking Boards in the uneven Floors and rotten old Staircases, and dark Corners, and dark Cup-Boards, and windy Key-Holes and winding Passages. That's my Notion of Roaring House."
"Is that where Gatty lives?" said Prudence heedlessly.
"No, where she was going to drink Tea; with Lantern and Pattens," said my Father—"Didn't you hear Patty read? Ha! Time was, I wouldn't have minded being her Foot-Boy."
"But, Patty," said my dear Mother anxiously, "she does not think you are well, Love. Do you wish to go to Larkfield?"
"Why, certainly, Mother, it would be a great Treat; only I don't see how I could well be spared."
"Oh, we can spare you well enough," cries Prudence; "you won't be missed!"
"Thank you," said I abruptly; and thought I would not go.
"We will manage to spare you very well, my dear Love," said my dear Mother—"We will contrive so that you shall not be missed."
Just the same Thing, only said how differently! I thought I would go. A kind Word spoken in Season, oh! how good is it!
In short, I decided to go, for I felt I wanted a Change; and I was hourly in dread of saying in my present irritable State, something to Prudence which I should afterwards be bitterly sorry for. I saw she wanted me to go; I knew she could, if she would, supply my Place for a little While; and I hoped after a short Absence to return with a new Set of Ideas, and find all Things straight.