“Stay here! You are crazy, Miss Maddy! ’Tain’t no place for a girl like you, and Mr. Remington never will suffer it, I know,” Flora rejoined, as she resumed her work, thinking she “should die to be moped up in that nutshell of a house.”
With a little sigh as she foresaw the opposition she should probably meet with from Guy, Maddy went on with her toilet, which was soon completed, as it did not take long to arrange the dark calico dress and plain linen collar which she wore. She was not as fresh-looking as usual that morning, for excitement and fatigue had lent a paleness to her cheek, and a languor to her whole appearance, but Flora, who glanced anxiously after her as she went out, muttered to herself, “She was never more beautiful, and I don’t wonder an atom that Mr. Guy thinks so much of her.”
The kitchen was in perfect order, for Flora had been busy there as elsewhere. The kettle was boiling on the stove, while two or three little covered dishes were ranged upon the hearth, as if waiting for some one. Grandpa Markham had gone out, but Uncle Joseph sat in his accustomed corner, rubbing his hands when he saw Maddy, and nodding mysteriously toward the front room, the door of which was open, so that Maddy could hear the fire crackling on the hearth.
“Go in, go in,” Uncle Joseph said, waving his hand in that direction. “My Lord Governor is in there waiting for you. He won’t let me spit on the floor any more as Martha did, and I’ve swallowed so much that I’m almost choked.”
Continual spitting was one of Uncle Joseph’s worst habits, and as his sister had indulged him in it, it had become a source of great annoyance to every one. Thinking that Uncle Joseph referred to her grandfather, and feeling glad that the latter had attempted a reform, she entered the room known at the cottage as the parlor, where the rag carpet and the six cane-seated chairs and the Boston rocker were kept, and where now the little round table was nicely laid for two, while, cozily seated in the rocking-chair, reading last night’s paper, and looking very handsome and happy, was Guy!
When Maddy prayed that he might come and see her she did not expect an answer so soon, and she started back in much surprise, while Guy came easily forward to greet her, asking how she was, and telling her she looked tired and thin; then making her take the chair he had vacated, he stood over her, while he continued:
“I have taken some liberties, you see, and have made myself quite at home. I knew how unaccustomed you were to the duties of a house, and as I saw that girl was wholly incompetent, I denied myself at least two hours’ sleep this morning for the sake of getting here early, bringing Flora with me and a few things which I thought would be for your comfort. You must excuse me, but Flora looked so cold when she came down from your chamber, where I sent her to see how you were, that with your grandfather’s permission I ordered a fire to be kindled there. I hope you found it comfortable. This house is very cold.”
He kept talking, and Maddy, in a delicious kind of bewilderment, listened to him, wondering if ever before there was a person so kind and good as Guy. And Guy was doing great violence to his pride by being there as he was, but he could do anything for Maddy, and so he had forced down his pride, trying for her sake to make the cottage as pleasant as possible. With Flora to assist he had succeeded wonderfully, and was really enjoying it himself. At first Maddy could not thank him, her heart was so full, but Guy was satisfied with the expression of her face, and calling Flora he bade her serve the breakfast.
“You know my habits,” he said, smilingly, as he took a seat at the table, “and breakfasting at daylight, as I did, has given me an appetite; so with your permission, I’ll carve this nice bit of steak for you, while you pour me a cup of coffee, some of Mrs. Noah’s best. She”—Guy was going to say, “sent it,” but as no stretch of the imagination could construe her “calling him a fool” into sending Maddy coffee he added instead, “I brought it from Aikenside, together with this strawberry jelly, of which I remember you were fond;” and he helped Maddy lavishly from the fanciful jelly-jar which yesterday was adorning the sweetmeat closet at Aikenside.
How chatty and social he was, trying to cheer Maddy up and make her forget that such a thing as death had so lately found entrance there. He talked of Jessie, of Aikenside, of the pleasant time they would have during the vacation, and of the next term at school, when Maddy, as one of the graduating class would not be kept in as strictly as heretofore, but allowed to see more of the city. Maddy felt as if she should die for the pain tugging at her heart, while she listened to him and knew that the pictures he was drawing were not for her. Her place was there; and after the breakfast was over and Flora had cleared the dishes away, she shut the door, so that they might be alone, and then standing before Guy, she told him of her resolution, begging of him to help her and not make it harder to bear by devising means for her to escape what she felt to be an imperative duty. Guy had expected something like this and was prepared, as he thought, to combat all her arguments; so when she had finished, he replied that of course he did not wish to interfere with her duty, but there might be a question as to what really was her duty, and it seemed to him he was better able to judge of that than herself. It was not right for her to bury herself there, where another could do as well. Her superior talents were given to her to improve, and how could she improve them in Honedale? besides, her grandfather did not expect her to stay. Guy had talked with him while she was asleep, and the matter was all arranged; a competent woman was to be hired to take charge of the domestic arrangements, and if it seemed desirable, two should be procured; anything to leave Maddy free.