On the doorstep she found Sarah Wall, whom conscience or a glimmering notion that it might be as well to be “in wi’ t’ new fowk,” had brought back to make inquiries.
“Hasna’ yer goods coom?” she asked, rather apologetically.
“No; they won’t come to-night now,” answered Miss Denison with a sigh.
“There’s summat—a cart or a waggon or summat—at t’ gate now.”
The hope was too much. Olivia gave a little cry. But when, a little later, there absolutely did drive up through the farmyard, and draw up at the door, a small open cart closely packed with bedroom furniture, she could scarcely keep from bursting into tears. For the first few minutes she was too overjoyed to perceive anything very singular in this arrival. In the front of the cart, beside the driver, sat two neat and buxom country girls, who sprang down to the ground with much suppressed excitement and half-hysterical laughter, and without any explanation of their presence, proceeded, with the help of the driver, to unpack the cart, and to carry the contents indoors and upstairs. Olivia stood back bewildered. One had a lantern and the other a broom; neither would advance a step towards the old house or up the wide staircase without the comfort and support of the other’s near presence. But up they did go at last, stifling little screams at every other step, and returning the jibes of the driver with prompt retorts. This young man looked like a stable boy, or perhaps a groom in undress. As he came downstairs again, after having taken up a folding bedstead, Olivia asked him where he came from.
“From t’ Vicarage, miss,” he answered, with a stableman’s salute. “Mr. Vernon sent us down and told us to put t’ thing’s in and coom back as quick as we could. T’ lasses was to clean oot a room oop-stairs for ye.”
Sarah Wall was emitting a series of witchlike grunts in the background.
“Mr. Vernon!” cried Olivia; “Mr. Vernon Brander! Oh, how very kind of him! How very kind!”
“He’ll be down hisself just now, miss, I think,” continued the lad; “he said he’d coom wi’ t’ second lot.”
Here Mrs. Wall broke in with a preliminary croaking cough—