“Do you think such life as this is worth caring for?” gasped Bessy, at last. Margaret did not speak, but held the water to her lips. Bessy took a long and feverish draught, and then fell back and shut her eyes. Margaret heard her murmur to herself: “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more: neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.”
Margaret bent over and said, “Bessy don’t be impatient with your life, whatever it is—or may have been. Remember who gave it you, and made it what it is!”
She was startled by hearing Nicholas speak behind her; he had come in without her noticing him.
“Now, I’ll not have my wench preached to. She’s bad enough, as it is, with her dreams and her methodee fancies, and her visions of cities with goulden gates and precious stones. But if it amuses her I let it abe, but I’m none going to have more stuff poured into her.”
“But surely,” said Margaret, facing round, “you believe in what I said, that God gave her life, and ordered what kind of life it was to be?”
“I believe what I see, and no more. That’s what I believe, young woman. I don’t believe all I hear—no! not by a big deal. I did hear a young lass make an ado about knowing where we lived, and coming to see us. And my wench here thought a deal about it, and flushed up many a time, when hoo little knew as I was looking at her, at the sound of a strange step. But hoo’s come at last—and hoo’s welcome, as long as hoo’ll keep from preaching on what hoo knows nought about.”
Bessy had been watching Margaret’s face; she half sat up to speak now, laying her hand on Margaret’s arm with a gesture of entreaty. “Don’t be vexed wi’ him—there’s many a one thinks like him: many and many a one here. If yo’ could hear them speak, yo’d not be shocked at him; he’s a rare good man, is father—but oh!” said she, falling back in despair, “what he says at times makes me long to die more than ever, for I want to know so many things, and am so tossed about wi’ wonder.”
“Poor wench—poor old wench—I’m loth to vex thee, I am; but a man mun speak out for the truth, and when I see the world going all wrong at this time o’ day, bothering itself wi’ things it knows nought about, and leaving undone all the things that lie in disorder close at its hand—why, I say, leave a’ this talk about religion alone, and set to work on what yo’ see and know. That’s my creed. It’s simple, and not far to fetch, nor hard to work.”
But the girl only pleaded the more with Margaret.
“Don’t think hardly on him—he’s a good man, he is. I sometimes think I shall be moped wi’ sorrow even in the City of God, if father is not there.” The feverish colour came into her cheek, and the feverish flame into her eye. “But you will be there, father! you shall! Oh! my heart!” She put her hand to it, and became ghastly pale.
Margaret held her in her arms, and put the weary head to rest upon her bosom. She lifted the thin soft hair from off the temples, and bathed them with water. Nicholas understood all her signs for different articles with the quickness of love, and even the round-eyed sister moved with laborious gentleness at Margaret’s “hush!” Presently the spasm that foreshadowed death had passed away, and Bessy roused herself and said—
“I’ll go to bed—it’s best place; but,” catching at Margaret’s gown, “yo’ll come again—I know yo’ will—but just say it!”
“I will come again tomorrow,” said Margaret.
Bessy leant back against her father, who prepared to carry her upstairs; but as Margaret rose to go, he struggled to say something; “I could wish there were a God, if it were only to ask Him to bless thee.”
Margaret went away very sad and thoughtful.
She was late for tea at home. At Helstone unpunctuality at mealtimes was a great fault in her mother’s eyes; but now this, as well as many other little irregularities, seemed to have lost their power of irritation, and Margaret almost longed for the old complainings.
“Have you met with a servant, dear?”
“No, mamma; that Anne Buckley would never have done.”
“Suppose I try,” said Mr. Hale. “Everybody else has had their turn at this great difficulty. Now let me try. I may be the Cinderella to put on the slipper after all.”
Margaret could hardly smile at this little joke, so oppressed was she by her visit to the Higginses.
“What would you do, papa? How would you set about it?”
“Why, I should apply to some good housemother to recommend me one known to herself or her servants.”
“Very good. But we must first catch our housemother.”
“You have caught her. Or rather she is coming into the snare, and you will catch her tomorrow, if you’re skilful.”
“What do you mean, Mr. Hale?” asked his wife, her curiosity aroused.
“Why, my paragon pupil (as Margaret calls him) has told me that his mother intends to call on Mrs. and Miss Hale tomorrow.”
“Mrs. Thornton!” exclaimed Mrs. Hale.
“The mother of whom he spoke to us?” said Margaret.
“Mrs. Thornton; the only mother he has, I believe,” said Mr. Hale, quietly.
“I shall like to see her. She must be an uncommon person,” her
