“But,” said Mrs. Fallows, pulling herself up, “I do talk. But poor Benny, 'e kep' a-cryin' with 'is toes till that ther' blessed young lady come, the young doctor fetched 'er, an' the minit she begin to sing, poor Benny 'e fergits 'is toes an' 'e soon falls off to sleep, the first 'e 'ad fer two days an' two nights. Poor dear! An 'e hain't ever done talkin' 'bout that very young lady an' the young doctor. An' a lovely pair they'd make, poor souls.”
Margaret was conscious of a sudden pang at this grouping of names by Mrs. Fallows, but before she had time to analyse her feelings Iola reappeared.
“Well, good-bye,” said Mrs. Fallows. “Yeh'll come agin w'en yeh git back. Good-bye, Miss,” she said to Margaret. “It does seem to give me a fresh start w'en yeh put things to rights.”
It was not till that night when she was in her own room preparing for bed that Margaret had time to analyse that sudden pang.
“It can't be that I am jealous,” she said. “Of course, she is far more attractive than I am and why shouldn't everyone like her better?” She shook her fist at her reflection in the glass. “Do you know, you are as mean as you can be,” she said viciously.
At that moment there came from Iola's room the sound of soft singing.
“It's no wonder,” said Margaret as she listened to the exquisite sound, “it's no wonder that she could catch poor Ben and his mother with a voice like that. Yes, and—and the rest of them, too.”
In a few minutes there was a tap at her door and Iola came in, her hair hanging like a dusky curtain about her face. Margaret uttered an involuntary exclamation of admiration.
“My! you are lovely!” she cried. “No wonder everyone loves you.” With a sudden rush of penitent feeling for her “mean thoughts” she put her arms about Iola and kissed her warmly.
“Lovely! Nonsense!” she exclaimed, surprised at this display of affection so unusual for Margaret, “I am not half so lovely as you. When I see you at home here with all the things to worry you and the children to care for, I think you are just splendid and I feel myself cheap and worthless.”