“The end of breakfast is another thing that we can miss out today,” said Mr. Burgess, implying personal indifference.
“Oh, well, Mr. Burgess,” said Mr. Merry, his eyes on the departing flock of boys; “oh, well, the boys needn’t hurry you. But ‘stay with the boys until they have finished their breakfast!’ Why, I shouldn’t have dreamt of asking you to do it, Mr. Burgess.”
Mr. Burgess followed his pupils.
“Fanny,” said Mr. Merry, “this about Miss Herrick’s answering the bell? Why, that is all right, of course? There isn’t any way out of it? There isn’t any one of you who could just run upstairs, you know, if you should hear the bell?”
“Well, no, I am afraid not, sir. Mrs. Merry’s orders are, that we are to keep downstairs this morning. There is a lot to be done down there.”
“Yes, Fanny, of course. Yes, Fanny. Thank you, Fanny, very much.”
Mr. Merry went up to the hall, and catching sight of Emily, quickened his steps to overtake her.
“Why, Miss Herrick, here is our great day. Our great day for the lads, when we all work together, as you and Mr. Herrick are so kind to us. And, Miss Herrick, you are so very kind to us. I hope there isn’t any little thing you are doing for us today that will be a nuisance to you, you know?”
“Oh, no. Nicholas and I are just coming in, in our most beautiful clothes, when the people come. What could be nicer for us? And I am opening the front door, as we can hear the bell. But as the tradesmen go to the back, and no visitors come in the morning, I don’t know whom I am to open it to. Unless to Mr. Burgess and the boys. That would sound good work, if I just said the number of people.”
“Yes, Miss Herrick,” said Mr. Merry, making way rather hurriedly for Emily. “Yes, Miss Herrick, very good and kind to us all. Oh, Mr. Burgess! So you are not gone, Mr. Burgess. Then make sure that you have your latch key, Mr. Burgess, will you? Because there is a good deal of running about on people today, you know.”
“Yes, Mr. Merry, I believe I have it. I always make a point of carrying it. A latch key is a useful thing to have on one, in case of wanting to run in and out.”
“Oh, well, Mr. Burgess. Wanting to run in and out! Oh, well, just today I meant, you know.”
A few hours later Emily opened the door to Bumpus and Masson.
“So you are not ashamed of coming to see us when we are really helping to earn the living. I mean of being seen with us. Did you see Mr. Burgess passing the college this morning, with his paper, and all the boys? How young did you think he looked?”
“About twenty,” said Bumpus. “A nice boy.”
“Oh, you don’t think he looks as young as that? Nicholas, here is Dickie saying that Mr. Burgess looks about twenty, and a nice boy! And he is here to look quite apart from the boys. It is so worrying about the parents noticing how young he is. With Nicholas doing nothing, and Mr. Merry’s having no education, there is only Mr. Burgess to be looked to for all the boys’ advantages. Of course Miss Basden is better than all three of them. But parents don’t count a woman.”
“That is unreasonable of them,” said Bumpus, “as one out of every pair of them is a woman.”
“Perhaps that is how they know,” said Emily. “But Mr. Burgess only missed a year of college because he couldn’t afford to be kept there, and he has been here eighteen months; so he really might be doing something now.”
“Has he no degree, then?” said Bumpus.
“Yes, he worked for it during the first year he was here.”
“I did not know you could do that for Oxford or Cambridge,” said Masson.
“I don’t think it was Oxford or Cambridge,” said Emily. “Don’t be searching and snobbish, William.”
“Well, missing the culminating part of advantages does not show,” said Bumpus.
“Not very much, to parents, I hope. It is only Mr. Merry who really shows how much he has missed; and Mr. Merry can do anything. Isn’t it generous of him to spend his life giving to others what he has not had himself?”
“Why not hand over prayers to him, and retire, Herrick?” said Bumpus. “If he can read.”
“It might be bold to make any change,” said Masson.
“And boldness in religion is out of place,” said Emily, “when we have to be humiliated and lowly. Mr. Merry can read. I saw him once, reading. But of course Nicholas has to read prayers. You must see that, Dickie.”
“Yes, yes. I see that, really,” said Bumpus.
“You were obvious, Richard,” said Masson.
“Dear Mr. Merry!” said Emily. “He is not obvious, is he? To support us all, so that people think it is Nicholas! I really don’t think it is obvious.”
“It is in good taste,” said Herrick.
“You do your half, darling,” said Emily. “It is all a matter of the time people take. There are those hundreds of helpless children, coming up from that cellar that we have never seen. I wish Dickens was alive, to expose schools. Mr. Merry has stopped to look back at Mrs. Merry, as if she were a dumb pet that understood.”
“I can understand Merry, too,” said Bumpus.
“I believe you can,” said Emily. “That is a side I do so admire in you. We must go after them, Nicholas, and walk about, with you in your gown. It makes me feel homesick that Mr. Merry shouldn’t work any harder than the rest of us. And it is so humiliating that he hasn’t a gown. I wish I could mend your coat, darling. It is really undignified for
