Joan hastened to assure her that eggs and bacon were her favourite food; and, having satisfied herself that there was water in the jug and a clean towel, Mrs. Bird departed, leaving her to unpack. Half an hour later Joan went down and partook of the eggs and bacon. It was an odd meal, with a deaf-and-dumb child pouring out the tea, a deaf-and-dumb giant smiling at her perpetually across the table, and her little hostess attending to them all, and keeping up a double fire of conversation, one with her lips for Joan’s benefit, and one with her head and hands for that of her two “babies.”
After supper the things were cleared away; and having first inquired whether Joan objected to the smell of smoke, Mrs. Bird filled a large china pipe for her husband, and brought him some queer-shaped tools, with which he began to carve the head of a walking-stick.
“I told you that he was very clever,” she said; “do you know, he sometimes makes as much as four shillings in a week. He gives me the money, and thinks that I spend it; but I don’t, not a farthing. I put it all into the Savings Bank for him and Sally. There is nearly forty pounds there on that account alone. There, do you know what he is saying?”
Joan shook her head.
“He says that he is going to carve a likeness of you. He thinks that you have a beautiful head for a walking-stick. Oh! don’t be afraid; he will do it capitally. Look, here is the late accountant. I keep it in memory of him,” and Mrs. Bird produced a holly stick, on the knob of which appeared a dismal, but most lifelike, countenance.
“He wasn’t very handsome,” said Joan.
“No, he wasn’t handsome—only right-thinking; and that is why Jim would like to carve you, because you see you are handsome, though whether or no you are right-thinking remains to be proved.”
Joan smiled; there was something very quaint about the little lady.
“I hope that Mr. Bird does not want me to sit to him to-night,” she said, “for, do you know, I am dreadfully tired, and I think that I will go to bed.”
“No, no; he will only make a beginning to-night, perhaps of two or three sticks, and afterwards he will study you. You will be much better for some sleep after your journey,—though you have not yet told me where you came from,” and she shook her straw-coloured head doubtfully.