“Here be your son, misses,” said Ben; “so you may thank God for His mercy.”
But my mother did not appear to be very thankful. She turned round and went in; I followed her, while Ben was standing at the door in amazement at her not flying to me and kissing me. On the contrary, she must have been angry at my return, for she commenced singing:
“Jack and Gill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Gill came tumbling after.”
And then she broke out: “And where have you been, you good-for-nothing boy, all this time? putting me to all this useless expense that you have; all my money thrown away for nothing.” I looked at the table, and perceived that she had been making a black dress and bonnet, to put little Virginia into mourning; for she never let slip an opportunity to dress out my sister.
“Fifteen good shillings thrown away and lost, all by your coming back. Your sister would have looked so beautiful and interesting in it. Poor child! and now she will be disappointed. Never mind, my darling,—you may have to wear them soon yet, if he goes on this way.”
Virginia did not seem to mind it at all; she was kissing and patting me, and was delighted to see me again. But my mother took her by the hand, and catching up the half-made dress and bonnet in her other, walked away upstairs to her room, singing:
“There was an old man who lived under a hill,
And if he’s not dead, he lives there still.”
“So much for motherly love! Dang it, what’s her heart made of?” said a voice. I turned round; it was old Ben, who had been an unobserved spectator of the scene.