"Why, the washing, Miss Alice to have such a great thing to wash every now and then. You can't think what a fuss she makes if I have more than just so many white clothes in the wash every week."
"That's too bad," said Alice. "Suppose you bring it up to me it wouldn't be often and I'll have it washed for you if you care enough about it to take the trouble."
"Oh, indeed I do!" said Ellen: "I should like it very much, and I'll get Mr. Van Brunt to no, I can't, Aunt Fortune won't let me; I was going to say, I would get him to saw off the legs and make it lower for me, and then my dressing-box would stand so nicely on the top. Maybe I can yet. Oh, I never showed you my boxes and things."
Ellen brought them all out, and displayed their beauties. In the course of going over the writing-desk, she came to the secret drawer, and a little money in it.
"Oh, that puts me in mind!" she said. "Miss Alice, this money is to be spent for some poor child; now, I've been thinking Nancy has behaved so to me, I should like to give her something, to show her that I don't feel unkindly about it what do you think will be a good thing?"
"I don't know, Ellen I'll take the matter into consideration."
"Do you think a Bible would do?"
"Perhaps that would do as well as anything; I'll think about it."
"I should like to do it, very much," said Ellen, "for she has vexed me wonderfully."
"Well, Ellen, would you like to hear my other pieces of news? or have you no curiosity?"