“I misdoubt me that it’s worm-eat,” said Aunt Hannah. “And as to this cheer, its creak would turn a body silly. Well, is there anything else for me to see?”
“There’s a crate in that corner, full of cups and saucers, and plates and dishes.”
“Chaney?” said Aunt Hannah, “I’m a jedge of that. I’ll unpack the crate ef you wish, Silas.”
“Well, do,” said Silas, “I’ll be obleeged. I can manage flowers, but I ’ates touching chaney. It seems to slip out of yer fingers, however careful you air. You unpack the crate, missis, and we’ll have a cup of tea together.”
Silas proceeded to light the fire, and put the kettle on to boil, and Aunt Hannah unpacked the crate which contained the cups and saucers, and plates, and dishes, with which Jill was to help to furnish her new home.
If there were one thing more than another for which Mrs Royal had a truly worldly affection, it was for “chaney.” She was a good judge of all house furniture, but with regard to “chaney” she felt herself a specialist. She was as knowing on this point as Silas was with regard to the best blooms and the choicest cuttings. The task, therefore, to which she now set herself was quite to her mind.
Silas had not dared to choose the tea-service and the plates and dishes himself—he had asked a friend of his to buy them for him, and to have them sent down to the cottage. When Aunt Hannah, therefore, removed the paper wrapper from a delicate cup of white and gilt, with a blue convolvulus lying across the saucer, and sending its delicate tendrils round the cup, he came and gazed at the lovely specimens with a certain quickening of his pulses, and a queer inclination in his eyes to water.
“I say!” he exclaimed, “I never thought as chaney would look like that.”
“It’s most onsuitable,” said Aunt Hannah. “But I don’t deny as it’s neat. My word, I only hope as that gel will have deft fingers, or she’ll be crackin’ and splittin’ this yere fragile chaney. You don’t mean to say, Silas, as you’ll use it hevery day? You are sinnin a’most past knowin’ you, but I don’t s’pose as you’ll go the awful depths of using this yere chaney hevery day.”
“That must be as Jill pleases,” said Silas.