“Well, Ma’am, I’ve brought her home safe and sound you see,” said Mrs. Mason, when they went in. “She has been a very good girl, and we were delighted to hear her talk; but she is so timid, pretty dear, she’s afraid of every thing.”
To prove this, Mrs. Mason told the story of the bull, which Phebe had not intended to mention, because she knew that William would be sure to laugh at her for it, and so he did very much.
Mrs. Mason did not stay long, but kissing Phebe, left her to tell all the particulars of her visit; and her Mamma did not forget to ask if any thing had happened, “to make her in the least uncomfortable while she was there.”
III.
CURIOSITY AND INQUIRY.
Mary and Fanny were both very fond of asking many questions: they were inquisitive little girls. Their Papa and Mamma, however, very seldom answered Fanny’s questions; and yet they almost always answered the questions of Mary. We shall see why they made this difference.
Whenever any one was going out, Fanny used to run after them, saying,
“Where are you going, tell me; pray tell me?—Are you going to Mrs. Smith’s, or to Mr. Johnson’s?—What are you going for?—When will you be back again?” And when any one of the family returned home, she would hardly be satisfied till she had asked a hundred questions of this sort.
The moment any strangers left the house Fanny must know who they were; and what business they called to talk about. She was fond of being in the room when ladies called; because they often talked about the affairs of their neighbours; and this sort of conversation she listened to very eagerly.
There was a Grocer’s shop opposite her Papa’s house. Fanny would stand at the dining-room window for hours together, to watch who went in and who came out; and to see what they bought: and if any body would listen to her, she was sure to ask the name of every person whom she did not know: but, in truth, she had learned the names of most of the people who usually came to the shop. So she would stand talking to herself thus, as she peeped between the window blinds:—
“There is Mary Wheeler. I wonder what she has been to buy, this afternoon; because she was at the shop just before dinner. I dare say it is tea; or else a piece of bacon for supper. Oh, no; I can just see the end of a candle under the lid of the basket. It is a pound of candles; or else three pounds; because, I think, they always buy three pounds of candles at a time, for then they save three half-pence.—That is old Mrs. West; la! how droll she looks. She is come herself to the shop: she hardly ever comes herself to the shop; because she sends her maid. I dare say her maid is gone out for a holiday, this Michaelmas. I can see her through the shop window, talking to Mr. Hyson. Mr. Hyson is come out of the counting-house on purpose to wait on her: he is taking down something to show her: I wonder what it is? I wish the shop window was not so dirty; and then I could see what people buy a great deal better.—Ho! ho! there is the London Carrier stopping at Mr. Hanbury’s; he has brought a parcel for them: dear! dear! what an odd parcel: such a long parcel: and there is something sticking out at the end: it looks like an iron shovel: oh, no; it is the tail of a fish. I suppose they have sent for a fish from London, because they are going to have a dinner party: then we shall see, to-morrow, who it is.—There is the coach coming! I hear the horn: now let me be all ready to see who is on the top of the coach: if it is any body that I know: but they always gallop by so fast that I can hardly see the people’s faces.”