“But what I mean is that her faults are such as every one can see at a glance, and she has many sweet and lovable qualities. I love her dearly. And, Janet, I don’t think it is quite kind in you to think that I grudge Fanny her proper place in her own house. I only wish that—”
“You only wish that she were as able to fill it with credit, as you are willing to let her. I wish that, too. And I am very far from thinking that you grudge her anything that she ought to have.”
“Oh! Janet,” said Graeme, with a sigh, “I shall never be able to make you understand.”
“You might try, however. You havena tried yet,” said Janet, gently. “It is not that you are growing too proud to eat bread of your brother’s winning, is it?”
“I don’t think it is pride. I know that Arthur considers that what belongs to him belongs to us all. But, even when that is true, it may be better, for many reasons, that I should eat bread of my own winning than of his. Everybody has something to do in the world. Even rich ladies have their houses to keep, and their families to care for, and the claims of society to satisfy, and all that. An idle life like mine is not natural nor right. No wonder that I weary of it. I ought not to be idle.”
“Idle! I should lay that imputation at the door of anybody in the house rather than at yours. You used to be over fond of idle dreaming, but I see none of it now. You are ay busy at something.”
“Yes, busy about something,” repeated Graeme, a little scornfully. “But about things that might as well be left undone, or that another might do as well.”
“And I daresay some one could be found to do the work of the best and the busiest of us, if we werena able to do it. But that is no’ to say but we may be working to some purpose in the world for all that. But it is no’ agreeable to do other folks’ work, and let them get the wages, I’ll allow.”
“Will said something like that to me once, and it is possible that I may have some despicable feeling of that sort, since you and he seem to think it,” said Graeme, and her voice took a grieved and desponding tone.
“My dear, I am bringing no such accusation against you. I am only saying that the like of that is not agreeable, and it is not profitable to anybody concerned. I daresay Mrs Arthur fancies that it is her, and no’ you that keeps the house in a state of perfection that it is a pleasure to see. She persuades her husband of it, at any rate.”