"Yes, I know; and I'm sorry to say that often I am angry to be interrupted. Then she is sometimes cross herself; and I have to think of all we owe her before I can readily oblige her. But mother says, instead of hurting me, all this discipline will do me good, if I keep my own heart right."
"I'm sure, Jane, I don't know what you mean."
"Well, perhaps I don't explain it right. But I'll try to tell you. One day, Grandma Frost—we always call her grandma, though she's no relation to us—was sick, or nervous, or cross, and as I was going down stairs I heard her speak quite sharply to mother. I was real angry; you know, I have naturally a very passionate temper, though I do try to control it, so I ran right into the room with my face as red as fire."
"'I shouldn't think you would speak so,' I exclaimed, 'when mother does nothing but wait upon you from morning till night.'"
Helen laughed aloud. "That's right! What did the old woman say?"
"No. I knew I was doing wrong; at least as soon as I had spoken. And when mother fixed her eyes upon me in such a grieved way, I was sorry enough to bite my lips off. 'Go out of the room,' grandma said. I ran to my chamber, and had a great cry. Then mother came in and sat down by me, and talked, oh, so beautifully! I cried harder than ever, but I wasn't angry then; and ever since, when she asks me to do something which I dislike I have only to stop a moment and call to mind what mother said, to be ready to do anything grandma asks."
"Well, you may do it if you like," cried Helen, her nose turned up in a most contemptuous manner; "but I shan't be such a fool as to humor all her whims. All I can say is, that if such an old woman were at our house I'd soon make her mend her manners or I'd contrive some way to be rid of her."
"You wouldn't say so, if you knew how she came to be here," was the tremulous reply. "I can't tell you, for I always begin to cry, but mother will; I'll ask her this very evening."
Company called, however, which prevented this; and a day or two of Helen's visit passed, without her learning the reason for Mrs. Dobbs's great kindness and forbearance with a woman, evidently from a low station in life, and who exhibited no gratitude for such favors.
One morning Mrs. Dobbs accompanied her husband to the city, about four miles distant, and Jane was away on an errand. Helen, therefore, was left to amuse herself as she pleased. She read in the library until she was tired, and then sauntered through the hall up-stairs to her own chamber.