“It is a puzzle to me where we are all going to sleep. Why, the house isn’t big enough to swing a cat in!” exclaimed Mrs. Gunnage, scornfully; and indeed the small interior did seem rather crowded, now that the lading of the three horses had been brought in and dumped upon the floor.
“For to-night the little girl can come to sleep with me in the loft. The two boys would be very comfortable in the stable, for there is quite a nice lot of hay there that I have been cutting and collecting for Blossom in the winter, and the nights ain’t cold yet,” Nell answered, with a desire to make things as pleasant as she could for these interlopers, who had come into such sudden and unexpected possession of her home.
Mrs. Gunnage turned upon her with an air of exasperation.
“To-night, indeed! Well, I’ve more than one night to think and plan for, and I’m sure I don’t know how Miranda would manage to climb up that shaking ladder. I shall keep her down here with us for to-night, and after that we must see what can be done. I’m willing to keep you on through the winter as hired girl, if you like to stay, for your board; but, by the look of you, I shouldn’t say you’d be worth wages at present.”
“Thank you, I could not stay for my board, and I will go away to-morrow morning,” Nell said hurriedly.
“But where will you go? Your granfer said you hadn’t any friends, that was why I sort of offered to take you out of charity,” the woman said, measuring Nell’s lean length with her eye, and mentally resolving to make her so-called charity a very paying investment indeed.
Nell flushed an angry red. To her, charity was the most hateful word she knew, and synonymous with everything horrid and unkind.
“It is true that I have nowhere to go and no friends. But I am strong, and can work, so that does not matter, and I have no need of charity,” she answered, with her head held at a proud angle.
“Oh, stuck up, are you? Well, a little hard work will soon take that out of you, I reckon. Where are you off to now?” demanded Mrs. Gunnage, as Nell moved towards the door.
“I am going to finish burying our poor old dog, which died last night. I was digging a grave for it when you came,” Nell answered.