'Something so different from what you do, that unless we run on different evenings, one of us will draw empty houses,' said Hazel, softly stepping along the cotton-bale from end to end. 'Where does Miss Powder sit?'this with a sudden pause at one end of the bale.
'Where she will never sit again,' said Rollo. 'She was here Saturday night with a party. I had wind of it before, and notified my people that it would be a German night. So it was.'
Hazel laughed. 'And she went home to study German!Very dangerous conduct, Mr. Rollo! Suppose I had come with the party?'
Rollo was here interrupted by a question of business. When it was despatched, he came up to Wych Hazel's perch and jumped her down.
'You must come away,' he said; 'it's too cold here for you. What is in your mind, Hazel? What will you do, if I give you a bale? and where will you have it? Go on, and tell me what is in your head?'
The wistful look came back again, humble and sweet. Clearly, however well Hazel thought of her power to take care of herself, she was less sure about taking care of other people. 'I doubt if I am fit for any such elevation yet,' she said. 'But I suppose there are some things I could teach the children. And I might be a Visiting Committeeto go about in the houses and find out the women's wants and troubles, and clear some of them away. I know at least how people ought not to live.'
'You can do that,' said Rollo; 'and that is just what you will do admirably. Did you think I was going to set you to teach school?'
'Are you quite sure you are not?' said she, laughing up at him. 'I could, Mr. Rollo,if I might learn first.'
'You could not teach these creatures. But you see another use for my nondescript building over there. Shall we go and look at it.'
The short walk was enlivened for Hazel by the encounters that met them. Every child gave a full smile, and every man a salutation with good will in it. On the other side the master had a word for every one, gracious as well as discriminating. It was evident that he knew them all, and their ways and their needs.