But Miss Ffrench was wholly at ease. She enjoyed the rapturous wonder she had excited with all her heart. She was very glad she had come.
"It must be very pleasant for Mr. Haworth to have you here," she said.
The woman started. A flush of joy rose upon her withered face. Her comprehension of her son's prosperity had been a limited one. Somehow she had never thought of this. Here was a beautiful, high-bred woman to whom he must be in a manner near, since she spoke of him in this way—as if he had been a gentleman born.
"Jem?" she faltered, innocently. "Yes, ma'am. I hope so. He's—he's told me so."
Then she added, in some hurry:
"Not that I can be much comp'ny to him—it isn't that; if he hadn't been what he is, and had the friends he has, I couldn't be much comp'ny for him. An' as it is, it's not likely he can need a old woman as much as his goodness makes him say he does."
Rachel Ffrench regarded her with interest.
"He is very good," she remarked, "and has a great many friends, I dare say. My father admires him greatly."
"Thank you, ma'am," brightly, "though there's no one could help it. His goodness to me is more than I can tell, an' it's no wonder that others sees it in him an' is fond of him accordin'."