Mrs. Livesey stared in utter astonishment. What could possess him to begin talking such nonsense as that—he that went about in a general way as if he couldn't say "Bo!" to a goose. In the very depths of a heart not yet cold and dead, she was pleased at the nonsense, though she gave a little groan and replied, "You might well say 'was.' My pretty days have been over this long while."
"That's as folk think, Maggie;" and the poor fellow looked at her with a world of kindness in his eyes. Mr. Drummond's words had stirred him strangely, and made him see Maggie in a new light. He had made up his mind that she did not regard him as the thief who had stolen her youth and beauty by bringing her to his own poor home, but as the husband whom she still loved better than herself, and as the father of her children.
Maggie plied him with many questions, but there was no longer any sharpness in her tone or unkindness in her words. Finally, she concluded that the new manager must be a very nice gentleman, and that something good might come of the meeting. Like Adam, she did not think much of being interfered with out of working hours. The very fact of Mr. Drummond's having talked about going to a place of worship, and such-like, inclined her to be suspicious. "If he had promised to raise your wages, there'd ha' been something to think about. Even a shilling a week would ha' been better than nothing."
"I don't suppose he could give me a rise, Maggie, though I daresay he would make things better for everybody if he could. You see I'm only a labourer, and I get same as the rest that do the same work."
"You do more and better, for you stick to it," said Maggie. "But there, it's no good talking."
At this moment, a smart rap at the door interrupted the speaker, and she went to open it. There stood two decently dressed men, strangers, one of whom said, "You'll excuse us disturbing you, missis, please, but there's a lot of us going round in twos, to ask our neighbours to come to the mission service to-night. You'll be kindly welcome, if you'll come, and your master, too. You'll hear something good."
"Eh, dear! It's all very nice, I daresay," replied Maggie, who was quite her best side out, "but I couldn't do it. To-morrow 'll be Sunday, and Saturday night's the busiest in the week, with six of 'em to tub, and ever so many things to do beside."
"Well, missis, I'm glad you see to keeping their little bodies clean and wholesome. It would be a good job if every house we'd looked into were as tidy as yours is. Folks say, 'Cleanliness is next to godliness,' but it don't do to stop at the cleanliness, does it, mate?"
The other man said, "No, that would be a bad lookout," and, turning to Adam, "Will you come along with us, mister?"
Adam shook his head, and Maggie said, "Thank you, we've both enough to do for to-night."