The girls looked at each other in dismay. "A hundred or two dollars" looked a much more formidable sum to them than to Mr. Antis.
"The thing that makes me feel the worst," continued Eben, "is, that Mr. Antis took me into the place against Mr. Francis's will and judgment. Mr. Francis wanted him to have a regular clerk, but Mr. Antis thought I was trusty, and he wanted me to have the place and the wages. He said I could do the work as well as if I were older, and so I could have done if only I had had my wits about me. And now Mr. Antis has to bear the blame of all just because he trusted me."
Eben's head went down on the table-cloth. Flora began to experience the sore pain at her heart which was always left behind by her "tantrums," as Jeduthun would have called them. It did not make her any more amiable towards Mr. Francis.
"The old prig! The hateful old miser!" she exclaimed. "Just as though he had never made a mistake himself! Do try to drink your tea and eat some dinner, Eben. I am sure you need it."
Eben drank the tea, but the dinner was beyond his power.
"I can't eat, thank you, Flora, but I will have some more tea, and then go back and let Jeduthun get his dinner, and put everything in order, so Mr. Antis need not get any more scolding on my account."
"I wouldn't put my foot inside the mill if I were you," said Flora. "I would let Mr. Francis put things in order himself, since he is so very particular."
"Now, I should feel as Eben does—as if I wanted to leave everything in the most perfect state," said Mary. "I should have a pride in not leaving the least thing out of the way."
"Well, I don't know but I should too," agreed Flora; "yes, I think I should. Does ma know anything about it?"
"No, unless she has heard it from Mr. Antis. She went up there to help Mrs. Antis about her dinner, because Mary has burnt her hand."