Trying on the Armour.
“Oh, thy father ’ll do right well!” said Rose encouragingly. “I dare be bound he thought it should be a pleasant change for thee.”
“Ay, I dare say Father thought of us and what we should like,” said Cissy. “He nodded to Mistress Wade, and smiled on me, as he went forth; so of course I had to ’bide. But then, you see, I’m always thinking of Father.”
“I see,” said Rose, laughing; “it’s not, How shall I do without Father? but, How can Father do without me?”
“That’s it,” replied Cissy, nodding her capable little head. “He’ll do without Will and Baby—not but he’ll miss them, you know; but they don’t do nothing for him like me.”
This was said in Cissy’s most demure manner, and Rose was exceedingly amused.
“And, prithee, what dost thou for him?” said she.
“I do everything,” said Cissy, with an astonished look. “I light the fire, and dress the meat, (Note 1) and sweep the floor. Only I can’t do all the washing yet; Neighbour Ursula has to help me with that. But about Father—please, when I’ve said the Paternoster (the Lord’s Prayer), and the Belief, and the Commandments, might I ask, think you, for somebody to go in and do things for Father? I know he’ll miss me very ill.”
“Thou dear little-soul!” cried Rose.
But Cissy was looking up at Elizabeth, whom she dimly discerned to be the graver and wiser of the two girls. Elizabeth smiled at her in that quiet, sweet way which she usually did.