“Oh, I hate them,” added her sister, almost pettishly. “They are such a plague. People who come out are always wanting some; and then the gardener is to be sent for, and he always grumbles at cutting them, and half the time he has not cord to tie them up, and papa sends me to the house for some. If I had a place, I would not have a flower on it; but mamma says the gardener has not any thing to do but to attend to the garden, so she will have flowers.”
“Why, certainly, my dear,” said Mrs. Hauton, who caught this last remark, “what should we pay Ralston such wages to do nothing. He gets his money easy enough now. If he had merely the green-house to take care of, I think it would be too bad.”
So flowers were cultivated, it seemed, chiefly that the gardener might not gain his living without “the sweat of his brow.”
As they came within sight of the river, to which the lawn sloped, Annie proposed that they should walk down to it; but the young ladies assured her at once that she would find it “very disagreeable;” and asking if they were not tired, turned their footsteps toward the house.
They returned to the drawing-room, and after a little dawdling conversation, Miss Hauton took down her embroidery frame, and began to sort worsteds, while Miss Fanny produced a purse and gold beads, of which she offered to show Kate the stitch.
Kate congratulated herself in the depths of her heart, that she had had foresight to arm herself with some needles and silk, and felt equal to all the emergencies of the morning; but poor Annie, one of whose accomplishments had not been to spend money and waste time in fancy work, could only offer to assist Miss Hauton in winding worsteds, by way of doing something.
Fortunately for Mrs. Leslie, Mrs. Hauton’s stream of talk was unceasing. She told innumerable and interminable stories (at least so they seemed to Annie) of the impositions of poor people; was very indignant at the sums they were called upon to give, and highly excited at the prices which were demanded of them, and which she thought people in more moderate circumstance were not asked. But more indignant yet was she when, on some occasions, they had not been treated with more prompt attention, and had superior comforts to others who were not as rich as themselves. She only, it seemed, expected to be put on a level with poorer people when the paying was in question. She evidently had an idea that the knowledge of her wealth was to procure her civilities which she was very angry at being called upon to pay for.
Annie thought it the longest morning she had ever passed; and when the servants announced the luncheon, she awoke as from a nightmare.
Gathering round the table, everybody ate, not from appetite, but ennui. Mrs. Hauton continued her stream of talk, (for, apparently, she had no sense of fatigue,) which now turned upon the hot-house and the price of her forced fruits.
Another hour passed in the drawing-room, in the same way, and Annie happening to be near a table, on which lay some books, took up a new review in which she was soon absorbed. After reading a few pages she (being the first person who had looked into it) was obliged to cut the leaves, when she heard Miss Hauton say, in the same scornful tone in which she had pronounced her an enthusiast in flowers,