"Certainly not."
"Then why did she go?"
"I don"t know."
"Do you mean that she went away without a word of explanation?"
"Yes; that is exactly what I mean."
"When did she go? As soon as your aunt was dead?"
"That doesn"t matter, Francine."
"In plain English, you won"t tell me? I am all on fire with curiosity--and that"s how you put me out! My dear, if you have the slightest regard for me, let us have the woman in here when she comes back for her answer. Somebody must satisfy me. I mean to make Mrs.
Ellmother explain herself."
"I don"t think you will succeed, Francine."
"Wait a little, and you will see. By-the-by, it is understood that my new position at the school gives me the privilege of accepting invitations. Do you know any nice people to whom you can introduce me?"
"I am the last person in the world who has a chance of helping you,"
Emily answered. "Excepting good Doctor Allday--" On the point of adding the name of Alban Morris, she checked herself without knowing why, and subst.i.tuted the name of her school-friend. "And not forgetting Cecilia,"
she resumed, "I know n.o.body."
"Cecilia"s a fool," Francine remarked gravely; "but now I think of it, she may be worth cultivating. Her father is a member of Parliament--and didn"t I hear that he has a fine place in the country? You see, Emily, I may expect to be married (with my money), if I can only get into good society. (Don"t suppose I am dependent on my father; my marriage portion is provided for in my uncle"s will.) Cecilia may really be of some use to me. Why shouldn"t I make a friend of her, and get introduced to her father--in the autumn, you know, when the house is full of company? Have you any idea when she is coming back?"
"No."
"Do you think of writing to her?"
"Of course!"
"Give her my kind love; and say I hope she enjoys Switzerland."
"Francine, you are positively shameless! After calling my dearest friend a fool and a glutton, you send her your love for your own selfish ends; and you expect me to help you in deceiving her! I won"t do it."
"Keep your temper, my child. We are all selfish, you little goose. The only difference is--some of us own it, and some of us don"t. I shall find my own way to Cecilia"s good graces quite easily: the way is through her mouth. You mentioned a certain Doctor Allday. Does he give parties? And do the right sort of men go to them? Hush! I think I hear the bell again. Go to the door, and see who it is."
Emily waited, without taking any notice of this suggestion. The servant announced that "the person had called again, to know if there was any answer."
"Show her in here," Emily said.
The servant withdrew, and came back again.
"The person doesn"t wish to intrude, miss; it will be quite sufficient if you will send a message by me."
Emily crossed the room to the door.
"Come in, Mrs. Ellmother," she said. "You have been too long away already. Pray come in."
CHAPTER XXIX. "BONY."
Mrs. Ellmother reluctantly entered the room.
Since Emily had seen her last, her personal appearance doubly justified the nickname by which her late mistress had distinguished her. The old servant was worn and wasted; her gown hung loose on her angular body; the big bones of her face stood out, more prominently than ever. She took Emily"s offered hand doubtingly. "I hope I see you well, miss,"
she said--with hardly a vestige left of her former firmness of voice and manner.
"I am afraid you have been suffering from illness," Emily answered gently.
"It"s the life I"m leading that wears me down; I want work and change."
Making that reply, she looked round, and discovered Francine observing her with undisguised curiosity. "You have got company with you," she said to Emily. "I had better go away, and come back another time."
Francine stopped her before she could open the door. "You mustn"t go away; I wish to speak to you."
"About what, miss?"
The eyes of the two women met--one, near the end of her life, concealing under a rugged surface a nature sensitively affectionate and incorruptibly true: the other, young in years, with out the virtues of youth, hard in manner and hard at heart. In silence on either side, they stood face to face; strangers brought together by the force of circ.u.mstances, working inexorably toward their hidden end.
Emily introduced Mrs. Ellmother to Francine. "It may be worth your while," she hinted, "to hear what this young lady has to say."
Mrs. Ellmother listened, with little appearance of interest in anything that a stranger might have to say: her eyes rested on the card which contained her written request to Emily. Francine, watching her closely, understood what was pa.s.sing in her mind. It might be worth while to conciliate the old woman by a little act of attention. Turning to Emily, Francine pointed to the card lying on the table. "You have not attended yet to Mr. Ellmother"s request," she said.
Emily at once a.s.sured Mrs. Ellmother that the request was granted. "But is it wise," she asked, "to go out to service again, at your age?"
"I have been used to service all my life, Miss Emily--that"s one reason.
And service may help me to get rid of my own thoughts--that"s another.
If you can find me a situation somewhere, you will be doing me a good turn."
"Is it useless to suggest that you might come back, and live with me?"
Emily ventured to say.
Mrs. Ellmother"s head sank on her breast. "Thank you kindly, miss; it _is_ useless."
"Why is it useless?" Francine asked.
Mrs. Ellmother was silent.
"Miss de Sor is speaking to you," Emily reminded her.
"Am I to answer Miss de Sor?"
Attentively observing what pa.s.sed, and placing her own construction on looks and tones, it suddenly struck Francine that Emily herself might be in Mrs. Ellmother"s confidence, and that she might have reasons of her own for a.s.suming ignorance when awkward questions were asked. For the moment at least, Francine decided on keeping her suspicions to herself.
"I may perhaps offer you the employment you want," she said to Mrs.