Among the cushions Ellen went to sleep again with a much better prospect of rest; and either sleeping or dozing, passed away the time for a good while.
CHAPTER XXIII.
How Miss Fortune went out and pleasure came in.
She was thoroughly roused at last by the slamming of the house-door after her aunt. She and Mr. Van Brunt had gone forth on their sleighing expedition, and Ellen waked to find herself quite alone.
She could not have doubted that her aunt was away, even if she had not caught a glimpse of her bonnet going out of the shed door the stillness was so uncommon. No such quiet could be with Miss Fortune anywhere about the premises. The old grandmother must have been abed and asleep, too, for a cricket under the hearth, and the wood fire in the chimney, had it all to themselves, and made the only sounds that were heard; the first singing out every now and then in a very contented and cheerful style, and the latter giving occasional little snaps and sparks, that just served to make one take notice how very quickly and steadily it was burning.
Miss Fortune had left the room put up in the last extreme of neatness. Not a speck of dust could be supposed to lie on the shining painted floor; the back of every chair was in its place against the wall. The very hearth-stones shone, and the heads of the large iron nails in the floor were polished to steel. Ellen sat a while listening to the soothing chirrup of the cricket, and the pleasant crackling of the flames. It was a fine, cold winter's day. The two little windows at the far end of the kitchen looked out upon an expanse of snow; and the large lilac-bush that grew close by the wall, moved lightly by the wind, drew its icy fingers over the panes of glass. Wintry it was without, but that made the warmth and comfort within seem all the more. Ellen would have enjoyed it very much if she had had any one to talk to; as it was, she felt rather lonely and sad. She had begun to learn a hymn; but it had set her off upon a long train of thought; and with her head resting on her hand, her fingers pressed into her cheek, the other hand with the hymn-book lying listlessly in her lap, and eyes staring into the fire, she was sitting the very picture of meditation, when the door opened, and Alice Humphreys came in. Ellen started up.
"Oh, I'm so glad to see you! I'm all alone."
"Left alone, are you?" said Alice, as Ellen's warm lips were pressed again and again to her cold cheeks.
"Yes, aunt Fortune's gone out. Come and sit down here in the rocking-chair. How cold you are! Oh, do you know she is going to have a great bee here Monday evening? What is a bee?"
Alice smiled. "Why," said she, "when people here in the country have so much of any kind of work to do that their own hands are not enough for it, they send and call in their neighbours to help them that's a bee. A large party in the course of a long evening can do a great deal."