Contrary to the girl’s expectation her new friend was not shocked. This cheered her; and it was not till she thought of returning to that home in which she had been treated so roughly of late that her spirits fell.
“I don’t know how to return,” she murmured. “I think of going away. But what can I do? Where can I go?”
“Perhaps it will be better soon,” said her friend gently. “So I would not go far. Now what do you think of this: I shall soon want somebody to live in my house, partly as housekeeper, partly as companion; would you mind coming to me? But perhaps—”
“O yes,” cried Elizabeth, with tears in her eyes. “I would, indeed—I would do anything to be independent; for then perhaps my father might get to love me. But, ah!”
“What?”
“I am no accomplished person. And a companion to you must be that.”
“O, not necessarily.”
“Not? But I can’t help using rural words sometimes, when I don’t mean to.”
“Never mind, I shall like to know them.”
“And—O, I know I shan’t do!”—she cried with a distressful laugh. “I accidentally learned to write round hand instead of ladies’-hand. And, of course, you want some one who can write that?”