[CHAPTER X.]
MRS. DEBORAH.
THE next morning, I waked feeling weary and weak enough. Amabel was already up, and I saw her seated near the window with her work. I lay a little while thinking over what had happened, feeling both ashamed of myself, and vexed at Mrs. Thorpe. What right had she, a tradeswoman, to set up to dictate to, and order a gentleman's daughter? And yet, at the bottom of my heart, I felt that she was right, and I was wrong.
I made a move presently, and Amabel came to me.
"Is it very late?" I asked. "Have you been up long?"
"It is not late, but I have been up more than an hour!" answered Amabel. "I have been thinking about a great many things, Lucy. When you are dressed, I will tell you what they are."
"Well! Now tell me your thoughts!" said I, as I finished my rosary, (which I still said every morning), and sat down on the other side of the window. "I hope they are not very deep, or I shall not understand them, for I feel dreadfully stupid and heavy. What would Mother Prudentia say to our being out till eleven o'clock, and that at a play?"
"She would say we were very wrong, and so we were," answered Amabel with decision. "Lucy, we must never do such a thing again."
"I don't think it was anything to make such an ado about!" I answered. "We could not help going with my lady at last."
"But we could have helped it at first!" returned Amabel. "We might have listened to Mrs. Crump, when she told us what was right."