“Yes, Le; but when do you propose to go to California on this quest? You know we sail for England in six weeks from this.”
“I shall start to-morrow, and lose no time! travel express! do my work as quickly as it can be done thoroughly—for to do it most thoroughly must be my first care—then I shall travel express coming home, and so be back again as soon as possible.”
“Well, my boy, go!” said Mr. Force. “I approve your earnestness, and may Heaven speed you.”
CHAPTER XXIV
WHAT FOLLOWED THE RETURN
“Now, ole ’oman, I want you to go all over the house ’long o’ me, to see for yourself how I’ve done my duty,” said the lady from Wild Cats’, as she followed Mrs. Force from the breakfast room on the day after the return of the family to Mondreer.
“Indeed, Mrs. Anglesea, I have no doubt you have done perfectly well,” replied the mistress of the house, deprecatingly.
“Yes, but I want you to see that I have. Now come into the storeroom,” said the housekeeper, resolutely leading the way, while Mrs. Force obediently followed.
“Now look at them there rows of pickles and preserves, and jams and jellies, on them there shelves. All made by my own hands. Them on the top shelf is three years old, and all the better for their age. Them on the middle shelf was made last year, and is very good. Them on the bottom shelf is the newest, and wants a little more age on ’em.”
“I’m afraid you worked too hard in making up these things, and also denied yourself the use of them, since the shelves are so full.”
“Who? Me? Not much! I own I did work hard. I like work. But as to denying myself anything good to eat, jest you catch yours to command at it, if you can; and if you do, jest let me know, so I can consult a mad doctor to find out what’s the matter with my thinking machine. No, ma’am. I don’t deny myself nothing good to eat. You bet your pile on that. Fasting never was no means of grace to me. I had plenty of pickles and preserves at all the three meals of the day. And so had the two niggers. Lord! why, next to eating myself, I love dearly to see other people eat.”