“Are you fond of children?” asked Mrs Lee.
“I love my brother and my little sisters. I have never been with other children.” There were tears in Christie’s eyes as she raised them to look in Mrs Lee’s face, called forth quite as much by the gentle tones of her voice as by the thought of ‘the bairns’ at home.
“I am afraid you could do nothing for baby,” said Mrs Lee. “Nurse will be here presently. Perhaps you could amuse the children; but they miss me, and are fretful without me.”
“I will try,” said Christie, eagerly. “Are they fond of stories? I am very good at telling stories. Or I can read to them. I will do my best.”
She went down-stairs, and guided by the sound of children’s voices, entered the dining-room. The little girl had thrown herself on the sofa, where she was sobbing with mingled grief and rage. The boys, on the contrary, were enjoying the prospect of eating the apples which Mrs Greenly was paring for them.
“The baby is crying. The lady wants you. She says I am to try and amuse the children,” said Christie.
“Well, I wish you joy of your work,” said Mrs Greenly, whose temper was a little ruffled by her encounter with Miss Letty. “For my part, I have no patience with children who don’t care whether their mother gets better or not. Children should love their parents and obey them.”
“I do love my mamma!” cried Letty, passionately, between her sobs. “Go away, naughty nurse!”
“I’m just going, my dear,” said the nurse. “And mind, my girl,” she added, to Christie, “these children are to be kept here, and they are to be kept quiet too. Mrs Lee’s wearied out of her very life with their noise. That useless Bridget was just as good as nobody with them.”
So she went up-stairs, and Christie was left to manage with the children as best she might. While the apples lasted there was little to be said. Letty did not heed hers, though it lay on the sofa, within reach of her hand, till Tom made some advances in that direction. Then it was seized and hidden quickly, and Tom’s advances sharply repelled. Tom turned away with a better grace than might have been expected, and addressed himself to Christie.