“No, thank you, Ma’am, I had much rather sit up to supper,” said Phebe, gaping.
“I’m sure I do not know what we can find to amuse you,” said Mrs. Mason; “for I have no playthings, and I’m afraid you’ll be sadly dull, poor thing:—let’s see though,” said she, “I think there’s a box of dominoes somewhere, if I can but find them. O here they are, I declare: you’ll like them, won’t you, dear.”
Phebe was not very fond of dominoes, especially when she had no one to play with her: she contrived however, by the help of them, to keep her eyes open till supper-time; and directly after supper she went to bed, thinking that, the evening was not quite so pleasant at Mrs. Mason’s as she had expected. Besides, she had never slept by herself before, and she felt so lonely when Susan had taken her candle away, that she was glad to go to sleep as fast as possible.
The next morning she awoke in very good spirits, and rose the moment that Susan called her. She found her way to the parlour; but was surprised to see that the window shutters were not open.
“No, this way, if you please, Miss;” said Susan, opening a door on the other side the passage.
“Dear,” said Phebe, looking quite amazed as she entered a large old-fashioned kitchen, strewed with red sand, finding that they were really going to breakfast there. “Well, I did not know that people ever lived in kitchens: I thought they were only made for servants. We do not live in ours.”
“No, I dare say not,” said Mrs. Mason, “but you like this kitchen love, don’t you?”
“Yes, I like it very well,” replied Phebe; “but I think the parlour a great deal more pleasant:—besides the bricks are so cold to one’s feet.—We have carpets in all our rooms except the kitchen; and I dare say we should have one there, if we lived in it. Such nice warm thick ones; I think they call them turkey carpets—you cannot think how comfortable they are.”
“Aye, I dare say they are for those that like them; but I am very happy without one, my little lady,” said Mr. Mason, who knew that he had excellent reasons for not having a turkey carpet in his kitchen.
“But how I wonder you do not live in the parlour: I cannot think what you have it for,” said Phebe; who was very fond of talking when her Mamma was out of the way.