She would have spoken to him, but he waved his hand for her to go on to the house.
She looked at him wishfully, hesitatingly; but he only smiled sadly on her and repeated his gesture with more emphasis.
Then she obeyed him and reluctantly went on.
“That was like meeting a ghost,” she said; and she sang no more that day.
She entered the house and met Sophia on her way through the hall with a pail of hot water in her hand and a look of indignation on her face.
“What’s the matter, ’Phia? Has anything happened? I met uncle outside the park wall and he looked awful! awful!” said the child.
“Well he mought,” replied the woman, wrathfully. “There’s been the biggest row you ebber seed in yer life, and you not here to ’vent of it.”
“Was it auntie and uncle?” inquired the child, in a tone of awe.
“Hi, who else? Yes, honey, it was master and mist’ess and de debbil! And you not here to carcumwent Satin!”
“Oh, dear me, I’m so sorry. How did it all happen, ’Phia?”