“I wish I could get it to-night. But you might go out early in the morning and get the stuff, and we could begin to make it.”
“So we could,” said Phoebe, who wondered much if her mistress would allow her to devote all her time to Nan.
“I know a little bit about dressmaking myself; we could easily make the dress,” continued Nan. “And we need not let any one into the room; I could keep the door locked, and we could both make the dress that I am to wear for my own mother. Phoebe, would it make her happier to know I was putting stitches into a black, black dress with crape on it to wear because of her, because she has gone to God?”
“It would make a wonderful difference,” said Phoebe.
“Would it indeed? Then I will have it very black, and a lot of crape. If I have a lot of crape, would she be glad?”
“If anything could make her more glad than she is now, that would,” said Phoebe; “I know it for a fact.”
“And Sophia Maria would wear crape and a black dress too?”
“Yes, miss.”
After that the two girls talked on until they grew sleepy, and finally Phoebe wrapped her little mistress in a warm blanket, and lay down herself on the rug; and so the first night passed away.
Nan possessed exactly two pounds, which she had saved, sixpence by sixpence. She broke into her little savings-bank now and gave the money to Phoebe, who went out at an early hour and purchased coarse cashmere and the poorest crape she could get, and brought the materials to Nan.