“I will, madam, do anything you order me,” said Franklin, and received the key from her hands.
When Mrs. Churchill’s orders were made known, they caused many secret marvellings and murmurings. Corkscrew and Felix were disconcerted, and dared not openly avow their discontent; and they treated Franklin with the greatest seeming kindness and cordiality.
Everything went on smoothly for three days. The butler never attempted his usual midnight visits to the alehouse, but went to bed in proper time, and paid particular court to Mrs. Pomfret, in order to dispel her suspicions. She had never had any idea of the real fact, that he and Felix were joined in a plot with house-breakers to rob the house, but thought he only went out at irregular hours to indulge himself in his passion for drinking.
Thus stood affairs the night before Mrs. Churchill’s birthday. Corkscrew, by the housekeeper’s means, ventured to present a petition that he might go to the play the next day, and his request was granted. Franklin came into the kitchen just when all the servants had gathered round the butler, who, with great importance, was reading aloud the play-bill. Everybody present soon began to speak at once, and with great enthusiasm talked of the playhouse, the actors, and actresses; and then Felix, in the first pause, turned to Franklin, and said, “Lord, you know nothing of all this! you never went to a play, did you?”
“Never,” said Franklin, and felt, he did not know why, a little ashamed; and he longed extremely to go to one.
“How should you like to go to the play with me to-morrow?” said Corkscrew.
“Oh,” exclaimed Franklin, “I should like it exceedingly.”
“And do you think mistress would let you if I asked?”
“I think maybe she would, if Mrs. Pomfret asked her.”
“But then you have no money, have you?”