The little girl explained. She was a trifle uneasy, perhaps she had not behaved rightly; perhaps Aunt Mary would be angry at being left in such an unceremonious fashion, and would tell Aunt Pamela, who had looked so scornful on the night of her arrival when she had spoken of Farmer Jo. But Miss Holcroft was not angry, though she had been a little shocked to see Marigold running after two complete strangers, as she had imagined.
"You should have waited and explained the matter to me, Marigold," she said; "had you done so, I could have spoken to them myself, and thanked the gentleman for his kindness to you in the train."
"Oh, Aunt Mary, I see now that is what I ought to have done! I acted without thinking! I am so sorry!"
"Never mind, my dear. Perhaps we may see them again some day, and then you can introduce me to them properly. Mother and son, you say? Dear me! He is so big, and she is such a tiny woman!"
Marigold dreaded what Miss Pamela would say when her sister told her of the encounter with Farmer Jo and his mother, but apparently the incident had not made so great an impression on Miss Holcroft's mind as on Marigold's, for the former did not revert to it again for some days to come. Meanwhile, the time was drawing near when Marigold was to make another important step in life, and go to school. Her mother wrote warning her of fresh trials and temptations that would cross her path, and begging her to remember her father's motto always. Marigold did remember it, but perhaps it was not unnatural that she did not realise how hard it might be for her to fight the good fight of Faith that hitherto had not been fraught with many difficulties, with her mother's cheering presence and her mother's loving care as bulwarks of strength, always at hand.
[CHAPTER V]
MARIGOLD'S UNTIDINESS, A MEETING WITH FARMER JO
AND HIS MOTHER, AND A VISIT TO THE LACE-MAKER
"MARIGOLD, I have this minute come from your bedroom, where I was greatly annoyed at the sight of your personal belongings strewed in every direction. I opened your set of drawers, and they were in a state of disorder; your towels had fallen on the floor, or perhaps you had thrown them there—"
"Oh, Aunt Pamela, I am so sorry—"