"And what you say to me, Miss," said the child, jumping along, "for I am to be your servant, and I will wait upon you by night and by day."
"Oh, you must not promise too much at present," returned Anna, "you are but a very little girl."
"But I shall grow," replied she, "and then I shall learn, and I shall be able to work soon, and make all your clothes; see if I don't, now."
"All I expect of you at present," said Anna, smiling at her childishness, "is that you will be a good girl, and mind what Bella says, and be very quiet in the house."
"Yes, I was quiet when my poor mother was ill, and so I be when father is bad," returned the child, "and so I will when you are ill."
"And at all times," replied Anna, "or Mrs. Meridith won't like it, and then perhaps she may tell me to turn you away, and I shall always do as she desires me."
"O, I will be as still as a mouse," cried little Betsey, putting her finger on her lips. "I would not be turned away for ever so much;"—and then she began a long story how one of their neighbours' girls was turned away from her place, because she was not a good servant, and another girl turned out of the school, "so I know it is a very bad thing to be turned away," said she, "and I will try to keep my place now I have got one."
The simplicity of the child, and her rusticity of manners, amused Mrs. Meridith and Anna for some weeks; but there was about her a conceit, and high opinion of herself, which kept them from extolling her simple attempts to please, too much; though they gave ample credit for "doing the best," as she called it.
Bella was busy the first month in making her an entire new set of clothes, which were plain and neat, and suited to the station Mrs. Meridith intended her to fill.
When Bella went to visit her father's cottage it was some time before Betty could be persuaded to accompany her, lest she should be left behind, or the little ones should cry after her; but on being assured that she should return again, she ventured to pay them a visit, and found her brothers and sisters quite reconciled to her absence; and though they expressed great pleasure at seeing her, they did not desire her to remain with them. And Bella amused her young mistress, after her new servant was put to bed, with the account she had given to her father and the old dame of her place, and the variety of things she had to do in it.