"You know best."
"I couldn't, I am sure," said Ellen. "It's four miles to Thirlwall, Mr. Van Brunt said; and that would be too much for me to walk twice a day; and I should be afraid besides."
A dead silence.
"But Aunt Fortune, do please tell me what I am to do. How can I know unless you tell me? What way is there that I can go to school?"
"It is unfortunate that I don't keep a carriage," said Miss Fortune "but Mr. Van Brunt can go for you morning and evening in the ox-cart, if that will answer."
"The ox-cart! But, dear me! it would take him all day, Aunt
Fortune. It takes hours and hours to go and come with the oxen
Mr. Van Brunt wouldn't have time to do anything but carry me
to school, and bring me home."
"Of course but that's of no consequence," said Miss Fortune, in the same dry tone.
"Then I can't go there's no help for it," said Ellen despondingly. "Why didn't you say so before? When you said yes, I thought you meant yes."
She covered her face. Miss Fortune rose with a half-smile and carried her jar of scalded meal into the pantry. She then came back and commenced the operation of washing up the breakfast- things.
"Ah, if I only had a little pony," said Ellen, "that would carry me there and back, and go trotting about with me everywhere how nice that would be!"